Why LOOPWHEELER Is Japan’s Most Respected Sweatshirt Brand – And What NZ Creators Can Learn

What makes a sweatshirt worth $300 — and why are Japan’s LOOPWHEELER garments quietly worn by creatives, collectors, and global streetwear elites?

Founded in Japan, LOOPWHEELER uses century-old loopwheel knitting machines that produce ultra-soft, durable fabric at an excruciatingly slow pace — just 1 meter per hour. No mass production. No shortcuts. Just perfectly tensioned cotton with an unmatched vintage feel.

For New Zealand’s independent fashion labels and slow fashion advocates, LOOPWHEELER offers a powerful blueprint: obsess over quality, honour the craft, and let your fabric tell the story. In a market flooded with fast fashion, their garments stand apart — minimalistic, luxurious, and made to last decades.

Whether you're a Kiwi designer looking to stand out in a saturated market, or a consumer tired of throwaway threads, this brand proves that “Made Different” still matters.

LOOPWHEELER has quietly collaborated with Nike, BEAMS, and fragment design — all while keeping production in Japan and never scaling beyond what the machines can handle. It’s not hype. It’s heritage.

Could Aotearoa develop its own loopwheel legacy? Or will brands continue chasing volume over value?

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#loopwheeler #nzfashion #slowfashionnz #madeinjapan #heritagecraft #sustainablestyle #kiwidesigners #menswearnz #qualityoverquantity #minimalistluxury

Daniel Chyi 戚钊

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