No. 6 (2025): Fashion Technology
Essays

Agile Production Networks: AI and WHOLEGARMENT® Knitting for Decentralised Fashion Systems

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  • Patricia Chircop
Patricia Chircop
University of Technology Sydney
cover of FH issue 6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-3694

Published 30-05-2026

Keywords

  • 3D knit,
  • localism,
  • advanced manufacturing,
  • industry 5.0,
  • sustainability

How to Cite

Chircop, P. (2026). Agile Production Networks: AI and WHOLEGARMENT® Knitting for Decentralised Fashion Systems. Fashion Highlight, (6), 82–90. https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-3694

Copyright (c) 2026 Patricia Chircop

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

WHOLEGARMENT® knitting enables the production of complete, 3D seamless garments in a single automated process, offering highly programmable textile manufacturing. This practice-based research investigates the feasibility of a decentralised production model—the Future Factory Network (FFN)—using existing industrial 3D knitting infrastructure. Early-stage knit trials were conducted at production sites equipped with WHOLEGARMENT® systems, alongside hypothetical network modelling based on international trade data and offshore manufacturing data from an Australian apparel brand. A varied set of products was produced to examine system adaptability, reconfiguration time, and operational stability under decentralised conditions. The study focuses on operational performance, framing knitting machines as networked production nodes within a potential distributed manufacturing system. Findings suggest that WHOLEGARMENT® technology provides a viable foundation for low-waste, low-labour, just-in-time production when applied across multiple localised sites. The research situates WHOLEGARMENT® systems within an emerging AI-enabled manufacturing context, indicating how future integration could further enhance responsiveness and coordination across
decentralised networks. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on hyperlocal production and digitally enabled manufacturing, proposing a structured pathway for reconfiguring fashion production toward modular, decentralised systems.

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