History

A future needs heritage and we are very proud of our past. In 1888, Walter Knöpfel Tricotage was established in the picturesque town of Teufen, Appenzell in Switzerland producing circular knit underwear in their own production facilities.

In 1945, pullover and cardigan production started. The company enjoyed enormous success with ski sweaters in dralon yarn. Even a James Bond girl sported this trendy item and so did the Swiss Ski Olympic Team in 1956 in Cortina, Italy.

The ski sweater manufacturer developed into a renowned producer of fashionable ladies’ and men’s knitwear from 1965 to 1970.

In 1980, the “Arco Verde” brand was launched. As the forerunner in the field at the time, Walter Knöpfel Tricotage occupied the market leader position in the eco segment.

The only constant is change itself, goes the saying of Heraclites, 500 years BC, and this reflects perfectly the dynamic development of this company.  Marking the 100th Jubilee, the new label “Nove Marzo” was presented in 1988. The brand represented high quality knitwear in the finest natural yarns.

Economical pressure on production meant that costs rose continuously and in 1994, the Suzhou Nove Fashion Ltd. & Co. opened its doors as a joint venture, high quality production site in Suzhou.

Consequently, the production in Teufen ceased and Tutto Maglia AG emerged from Walter Knöpfel Tricotage. The Teufen location developed into a creative, distributive and logistical center.

In 1997, an important pillar was added to the company: Magliere Giglio s.r.l. with a creative center in Florence and a production site in Pesaro, Italy.

After 10 years of pioneering work in China, the joint venture Suzhou Nove Fashion Ltd. & Co. became a 100% subsidiary of Tutto Maglia AG in 2003 and has since been called Suzhou 2-ply Fashion Co. Ltd., a high-level knitwear producer with Swiss expertise and organization.

In 2015, Tutto Maglia AG was incorporated into Akris AG. This incorporation has allowed the wide knowledge and development to be combined perfectly; enhancing the focus on the creation of Akris collections.