In Brovary, Kyiv region, the largest knitwear factory in Ukraine, the private enterprise "Rito", has been successfully operating for many years. The clothes from this factory are popular not only in Ukraine but also abroad.
The founder and head of the enterprise, Tetiana Abramova, proudly calls it a laboratory of innovative knitwear. She demonstrated to UNN journalists the full cycle of quality clothing production, starting from designer modeling, the yarn process, and ending with the delivery of finished goods to suppliers.
It all starts with a thin thread
"This is our pride, this is our own production. It all starts with this. It starts with a thin thread, from which we then knit various interesting things on these smart machines. We have our own trend bureau, where designers and constructors work. All their ideas are implemented and knitted in our production," she said.
Abramova proudly demonstrates the workshop with knitting machines and explains that, according to some specialists, their complexity is comparable to that of spacecraft.
"These are very smart Stoll machines. This is a 150-year-old concern in Germany that develops some of the smartest knitting machines. They say that knitting machines are very similar in design to a spacecraft. This is because they have many different small, intricate mechanisms. Needles. There are several hundred of them. And these needles must work in such a way that they catch the thread. And this thread makes the intertwining," she said.
Continuing the tour, Tetiana Borysivna says that their products are successfully sold in the USA. She adds that the factory produces knitwear under two brands: Rito and 91Lab. Rito, according to her, is a brand of more versatile knitwear, and 91Lab is a brand with the slogan "Knitwear as art." And this is indeed true, as products under the 91Lab brand have an exquisite design, and some are adorned with motifs from Maria Prymachenko's works or elements of Brokar embroidery, which was widespread in the Kyiv region in the 19th century.
In the clothing designers' office, work is in full swing: they are engaged in real art here, and in front of journalists, they are working on the autumn-winter 2025-26 collection.
"When girls come up with a collection, they think deeper than just clothes. They are engaged in art. We have our own cycle. We must adhere to it because, for example, when we export, we work according to the laws of global retail. For example, in February, we must already show the summer 2026 collection," she said.
Dissonator, kettling – mysterious terms from the field of knitwear production
Have you ever heard the word "dissonator" as a job title? We heard about such a specialist for the first time. And this is an important person in clothing production, because these specialists program machines to produce the final product, indicating where to use specific threads of a specific color, and what loops should be knitted.
"In reality, it is indeed called a 'dissonator,' and the profession is very complex. They say: oh, these are IT specialists. No, they are IT specialists, but they have extensive experience and knowledge in knitwear production, they know how to do what. So that the needle picks up that color of thread, or it flips over another needle. That is, it is a very complex story," she said.
And then she demonstrates an incredibly beautiful collection of knitwear, the creation of which was inspired by the work of Maria Prymachenko.
In general, the production of knitwear is a complex process that includes a number of important stages. In particular, after the fabric is ready, it goes to a special room where it undergoes mandatory heat treatment.
At the next stage, a machine called a kettling machine is indispensable. It is with the help of the kettling machine that the garment parts are sewn together, and we get a finished knitwear product with a neat kettling seam.
After that, the finished product undergoes quality control and is certified, so that it can later travel from Brovary to all cities of Ukraine. And some batches are exported abroad.
Inspired by a dress with swallows
Ms. Tetiana is a very energetic woman, in love with her work. But still, how did she manage to create and scale a successful production?
She herself is from Luhansk. Her father was once transferred to work in Brovary. Then she decided that this was her second homeland.
"Everything happened by chance for me. I was finishing my postgraduate studies at the Hetman Economic University. My mother was a doctor, and a girl came to her who wanted to thank her and brought a ball of yarn. My mother said: what will I do with it? And she replied: if you have a daughter, I can knit her a dress. And she knitted such a cool dress with swallows. At that time, in the early 90s, there was nothing interesting. And business is always born where there is a deficit: of goods, of services. And so, when I saw this dress, I really wanted such dresses to be produced in large quantities for all women. It all started with 400 dollars and the first knitting machine," she recalled.
And she is also proud that her factory is located in Brovary – in a city where the authorities are interested in the development of entrepreneurship.
"Firstly, it is a very powerful city with intellectual people, because there are many complex enterprises here. It is focused on people's lives. There is a very cool infrastructure, and you know, honestly, although they say it is a satellite city of Kyiv - yes, but it is a city in itself, and you can live your own vibrant life in it separately. And secondly, we have authorities who listen to us. You might be surprised, but I went to see the mayor (Mayor Ihor Sapozhko - ed.), he listened to me, and he gave me feedback. I have been a resident of Brovary for many years and I don't want to move," she said.