Workers are hurrying past, some carrying boxes, others getting ready for their shift, still others walking by with piles of papers and a don?t-you-dare-bother-me look? Shibani Inwear factory is full of people bustling around like ants in an ant-hill. Recently set up in 2002, this stream of Shibani Knitting Ltd produces series of seamless, close-to-the-body products, ranging from sexy little G-strings to long-sleeved tops for the local market and for foreign brands such as Dim, Target and Guess.

The process begins on the fourth floor. The thread, imported from Europe and the USA, is knitted using 58 state-of-the-art looms. Amidst the terrific hissing noise, Daya Nadar, the marketing manager, explains that the ?Santoni equipment enables a monthly production of 600,000 seamless pieces.? The imposing machines are the height of a human being. From time to time, operators can be seen slipping from machine to machine, constantly monitoring the production. Inside the little glass windows on the top of the machines, rolls of white yarn are whizzing round. The thread is knitted and comes out it the form of a long tube. ?Since our items are seamless, we do not produce rolls of cloth that are cut out and sewn in the traditional way.? These long tubes of cloth are then chopped to form the basis of the garments. A crop top - very short top extending to just below the breasts - is made by simply cutting the cylinder of cloth into a smaller section and adding the straps.

The last touches such as collars, straps and sleeves are added using a sewing machine. One storey below, a whole room is full of workers bent over their sewing machines. People are rushing about, quickly moving the products from the worktables to the back of the room. The pieces are finished, but still need to be dyed. The garments can also be treated while they are being dyed in different colours. A sanitising treatment against bacteria is done at the same time. Other treatments such as anti-UV or moisture management are done on the yarn before it is imported. ?We are also trying out an Aloe Vera finish, which leaves a satin touch and nice smell on the clothes,? adds the marketing manager.

Down in the showroom, the products can be seen close up. The materials seem mainly synthetic: lycra, polyamide and viscose, but apparently cotton is also used. The colours are mainly sober tones of beige, mauve and pink. But in the midst of the clothes racks, the odd leopard-skin top or tie-and-dye style shorts stands out here and there. ?A team of about ten people design our collection and about 460 employees in the factory contribute to the production of our garments,? says Daya Nadar. The technical side is partly managed by Italians, who have brought along their expertise. The sporty looking bras and shorts do look very comfortable as the key-concepts of Shibani Inwear are ?innovation? and ?wearability?, which seem appropriate, at least to the eye?