Case Study｜ECI x adidas Wimbledon Originals

The Fusion of Elasticity and Heritage: How ECI’s Warp Knit Trim Brought adidas' Vision to Life

 

A Timeless Game, Reimagined

Wimbledon embodies British elegance and tennis tradition. To honor this legacy, adidas launched the Wimbledon Originals series—a collection that reinterprets classic tennis fashion with all-white palettes, heritage stripes, and refined knit details.
The collection goes beyond nostalgia. By merging archival design with modern materials and ergonomic construction, adidas created garments that are visually authentic yet engineered for movement and comfort. To achieve this balance, adidas partnered with ECI to develop custom elastic trims that meet both aesthetic and performance requirements.

 

 

ECI’s Role: Where Elastic Meets Elegance

For the Wimbledon Originals collection, elastic trims played a crucial role in connecting retro visuals with contemporary garment function. ECI developed a custom warp knit elastic binding trim—Style ECI#72228-134R—that served both technical and design needs.
The trim was used at key garment points, including ribbed hems and cuffs, helping to maintain structure, enhance fit, and reinforce the vintage visual cues that define the series.

Highlights of ECI Style ECI#72228-134R:

• Application: Designed specifically for jacket hems and cuffs, where stability and aesthetic cohesion are essential.
• Design Precision: High-resolution knitted stripes in Wimbledon’s signature white and green, combining subtlety with heritage.
• Structural Advantage: Warp knit construction delivers excellent stability and controlled stretch recovery, reducing deformation and sagging over time.
• Skin-Friendly Comfort: Treated surface finish offers a smooth, soft touch suitable for extended wear and direct skin contact.

With this trim, adidas was able to achieve a clean, tailored look without sacrificing comfort or movement—a true blend of sportswear innovation and timeless elegance.

 

 

The Co-Development Journey

Creating the Wimbledon Originals collection was a collaborative effort, with adidas and ECI working closely from the earliest stages. The development process involved:

• Joint Design Reviews: Aligning trim concepts with adidas’ creative direction and heritage references.
• Material Sampling: Multiple prototyping rounds to evaluate knit structure, elasticity, texture, and edge behavior.
• Color Matching: Custom dyeing and finish adjustments to reflect the authentic Wimbledon palette.
• Performance Testing: Real-use simulations to measure elasticity, stretch retention, comfort, and durability under movement.

Throughout the process, ECI’s engineering and development teams remained tightly coordinated with adidas’ designers, ensuring the final trim not only matched the collection's visual standards but also delivered real-world performance.

 

 

The Result: Understated Sophistication That Moves

The adidas Wimbledon Originals collection succeeded in its mission—to bring vintage athletic elegance into a modern, wearable context. ECI’s warp knit elastic trim played a quiet but essential role in this success. By supporting structure, improving fit, and contributing to the visual language of the collection, the trim became a cornerstone of a design that’s as functional as it is timeless.

 

 

Why Warp Knit Is Ideal for High-Performance Apparel
Strategic Collaboration with ECI

When apparel needs to perform under pressure, warp knit is the structure of choice. Its technical advantages make it essential in premium activewear:

• Dual-Directional Stability: Maintains shape during movement – no warping or rolling edges.
• High Tensile Strength: Withstands pulling and tension, ideal for performance zones.
• Responsive Elasticity: Blends well with elastane to offer stretch and rebound, improving support and freedom of motion.
•  Engineered Functionality: Allows built-in mesh, jacquard, or zoning effects, and can integrate yarns with moisture-wicking, UV resistance, or anti-bacterial functions.
• Production Efficiency: Compatible with advanced warp knitting machines, enabling high-speed, large-volume runs with consistent quality.

 

 

Looking Forward: Building on a Shared Vision
This collaboration is more than just a technical achievement. It showcases ECI’s unique ability to operate at the intersection of performance and design, contributing meaningful value to leading global brands.

ECI’s Strategic Focus Areas Going Forward:

• Design-Led Development: Engaging earlier in the product lifecycle to co-create knit structures, textures, and color concepts that integrate seamlessly with garment design.
• Performance and Aesthetics: Advancing elastic trim R&D to serve dual-purpose use cases across sport, fashion, and lifestyle apparel.
• Sustainable Innovation: Expanding capabilities in recycled yarns, mono-material trims, and eco-conscious elastic solutions to support circular design strategies.
• Global Collaboration: Building deeper partnerships with brand teams, designers, and supply chain leaders to deliver reliable, high-quality elastic solutions on a scale.

This project is a testament to ECI’s evolving role as a design partner, helping redefine the standards of what apparel accessories can do in a global fashion and performance landscape.