The made-in-Italy sweater brands you may not know about

According to a 2021 study by Transparency Market Research, the knitwear market is currently worth 582 billion dollars and is estimated to reach a market value of 998 billion dollars by 2031. Not bad for a garment like the sweater, which for many of us is an essential item of clothing that we wear year after year to get through the cold, dreary winter. The sweater is almost like a cosy and cool piece of armour to cope with the cold and bad weather. It is passed down from parents to children or scouted by the most interesting brands of the moment. Everyone has their own favourite. There are those who would never give up cashmere, those who prefer mohair wool, those who like neutral colours and those who are into vitamin prints. The new generation of designers who are embracing knitwear are often experimenting by combining creativity and sustainability and opting for deadstock or recycled yarns. This way, we feel less guilty about adding a new sweater to our wardrobe or adding it to our gift list for next Christmas. The secret? Buying quality products that are durable, fit our style and maybe even Made in Italy. Want some suggestions?

G-Club has selected the Made in Italy sweater brands you should know.

MTOF

MTOF is a creative project specialising in knitwear, run by the fashion design duo Eleonora Abbate and Alessia Beraldin. Each garment is made in Valeggio sul Mincio, a small village near Verona, where the brand's headquarters are located, from leftover fabrics and yarns. The result is soft and warm creations with unique details, such as the WAMS line (what a surprise!), a patchwork of reversible knitwear that combines different materials in intricate and beautiful intarsia, or the FW23 collection with its geometric jacquards and contrasting colours.

Artknit Studios

Artknit Studios is a Digital Native and B Corp certified company specialising in quality knitwear, founded in 2018 by Alessandro Lovisetto. Sustainability, quality and timeless elegance are the three key concepts of the brand. Only ethically and responsibly sourced natural fibres are used, which have the least impact on the environment, are easy to recycle and are 100% biodegradable. Each knitted piece is made to last, with an essential and timeless style that allows it to be worn for many seasons without having to conform to current trends. Artknit Studios has just opened its first pop-up store, which will be open until 30 December in Milan at Via Metastasio 1 in the heart of the Cadorna district.

Ketten Studio

Who says knitwear is boring and that grandmas knit to give their grandchildren ugly Christmas jumpers? Ketten Studio and its designer Lolita Campisi defy rules and conventions to offer contemporary, handmade garments that draw on the aesthetics of faircore and subversive basics to create sets, tops, dresses, skirts, jumpers, hats, bags and accessories that celebrate form without sacrificing comfort.

Cavia

Martina Boero founded Cavia during the lockdown. She started crocheting with what she had and little by little the project grew. Upcycling and an eco-friendly soul remained the basis of the brand, which offers a true apotheosis of colours, patchwork, braiding, fringe and ruffles. Each garment is not only cosy and colourful, but also truly unique, the result of a union of raw materials, minds and hands. Finally, the name Cavia alludes to the experimental nature of the brand's DNA.

Of Handmade

The tradition and expertise of Made in Italy meet what the brand itself calls a green, eco-chic soul. Of Handmade was born from the desire to create pieces with a soul all of their own, with details and embroideries that recall the tradition of the "handmade" The result is jumpers and other timeless, understated and comfortable garments made from fine, natural yarns such as merino wool and alpaca in winter and cotton and linen in summer. The processes are mostly handmade and range from the simplest to experiments with special weaves. And the result? Always interesting but unobtrusive.

Vitelli

Sustainability. Inclusion, innovation. These are some of the characteristics of Vitelli, a collective of creative artisans founded by Mauro Simionato and Giulia Bortoli, which draws inspiration from the Italian Cosmic movement and describes itself as the multi-ethnic punk of Italian couture. Each of Vitelli's collections is the result of a continual evolution of moods and influences in which, like the threads in a perfectly imperfect jumper, the tradition of Italian craftsmanship, underground culture, the breaking of stereotypes, a genderless aesthetic, respect for the environment and eclectic creativity are interwoven. The FW23 collection? Sembre is designed to dress contemporary hippies and colour even the darkest and coldest winter. As always, all Vitelli garments are made using yarn waste, as km 0 as possible.

Scaglione

The story of Maglificio Scaglione began in 1966 with Renato Scaglione and his wife Celsa and continues today with the expertise passed down from father to son. At the heart of every creation, from hybrid jumpers (half of which are made from recycled cashmere) to turtlenecks, are only the highest quality fibres from sustainable sources and yarns that come exclusively from Italian spinning mills and are processed into garments in the factory in Bergamo. The end result is always the highest quality that stands the test of time.

Massimo Alba

Massimo Alba's fans include Hollywood's biggest stars, from Leonardo di Caprio to James Franco, from Ian McKellen to Stanley Tucci. After a long career in the fashion and knitwear industry, he founded his eponymous brand in the early 2000s, which is becoming increasingly popular thanks to its timeless elegance and the very high quality of its garments.