Knitwear specialist & manufacturing partner — Songjiang District, Shanghai
Rena is the head merchandiser at a small knitwear studio based in Songjiang District, on the southwestern edge of Shanghai. Songjiang has a population of around 1.8 million and is one of the city's key textile and garment production areas, with a manufacturing history that runs deep in the region.
It's a practical place to make things — and that's exactly what Rena and her colleagues do.
Rena started working for the company in 2020, when the Shanghai studio and factory officially opened. The owner, Jim, has been working on the business for almost 10 years. The business has a core staff of 4 in their office and 15 full time workers in their factory, with additional part time workers joining the team during busy periods.
The studio sits within a building shared by several small garment businesses — linking teams, washing and finishing studios, trim suppliers — which means the broader production process is largely contained within a few floors.
Knitwear development is iterative, technical work. Having complementary trades nearby — the people who finish seams, source trims, and handle washing — makes the sampling and production process faster and more tightly managed.
Rena found Après Studio through Instagram and made contact by email in the early stages. It was a straightforward introduction that grew into an ongoing working relationship between two small, independently run operations.
Standard working hours are 9:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.
During peak production periods the team works overtime, compensated in line with local labour regulations.
Rena's studio doesn't currently hold formal factory certifications, but operates to strict internal quality control and production standards.
We work closely with Rena to choose suppliers that produce RWS and OEKO-TEX® certified yarn.
On the environmental side, the focus is practical: reducing yarn waste during sampling, recycling leftover materials, using energy-efficient machinery, working with responsible yarn suppliers, and keeping packaging minimal.
The broader principle is straightforward — well-made garments that last reduce the need to replace them.
