Niko International - Knitwear

30 employees - Lima, Peru

Knitwear

We call Niko International our mighty micro producer! With only one full-time knitter in Lima, they produce a majority of our knit collections! We were first introduced to Niko in late 2019 and had to pleasure of meeting the mighty team in 2021! They specialize in crafting the distinctive angled lines that have become synonymous with our brand.

Production

All garments at Niko are made using a Stoll knitting machine. The process is incredible! A master knitter plugs the pattern and design into a program that looks very similar to ternary coding. Once ready, the machine prints the front of the garment, followed with the back. After both sides are printed, they are bound together at the seams using a Circular Knitting/Binding Machine. They artisan slips individual knits through a fine needle hole in what seems like a blink of an eye. With a quick swipe back and forth, the garment is bound and ready for action!

Eco + Ethical Principles

Niko was founded in 2008 with a commitment to “creating high-quality products that are environmentally responsible".

A large amount of cotton from Peru is made using the Tangius variety. The problem Tanguis is the use of pesticides and insecticides in order to create a vibrant yield. It can also be extremely hard to trace the origins. For these reason, we exclusively work with Pima cotton! Our Pima Cotton comes from the amazing team at La Colonial and the entire process is GOTS certified. The environmental standards are very similar to that of organic cotton. 

Niko International is Fair Trade and ISO 9001 certified.

Niko has implemented multiple social programs for her few employees. They include, “financial aid that artisans receive in personal loans, whenever they need it, and an ophthalmological campaign, including the delivery of glasses”.

Women Led

As with many of our suppliers, Niko International is run by a self identified women. Nina, is the CEO and Founder of Niko International.