Experimental processes of knowledge exchange for knitwear design

Knitwear is an area of growing interest for fashion and textile designers that goes far beyond artistic creation, as it deals with the complexity of peculiar realization techniques and with a very articulated industrial sector. What can scientific research do in the field to make young knitwear designers closer to the knitwear industry, and to answer effectively the needs of such a specific sector? This paper describes the premises, the undertaken actions, and the results of an experimental research-teaching activity held in the School of Design, at Politecnico di Mila-no, in collaboration with Ghioldi, an Italian printing and knitting company. Part of a wider doctoral study, the reported experience puts in touch pure creativity with manufacturing processes, university with industry, and the knitwear field with the textile printing field, serving the aim of improving the knowledge exchange through and towards design-driven innovation in processes, products, and teaching methods.