Lycra’s Adaptiv fiber technology portfolio added some new faces to the fold.
The Wilmington, Del.-based company debuted three new Lycra-brand spandex innovations at Intertextile Shanghai last month: Lycra Adaptiv Black fiber, Lycra Adaptiv Xtra Life fiber and Lycra Sheer Sensation technology. Machine Printing On Fabric
“Adaptiv is a revolutionary polymer that really changes the wearing experience for customers,” Steve Stewart, chief brand and innovation officer of The Lycra Company, said.
Customers have been asking for versions specific to activewear and swimwear applications, Stewart noted. “To us, that’s a great sign that Adaptiv is becoming the new standard of what they want from Lycra; that the things they’re used to from many years before—from our current core products—we’ve now moved to the Adaptiv franchise,” he said. “So that was the main message; this story is not one product, it’s expanding to really all the different categories to become—what we hope—will be the core offering from Lycra going forward.”
The Adaptiv line enables brand clients to create durable apparel addressing consumer demand for “inclusive sizing, enhanced comfort and greater functionality,” the company said.
The Lycra Adaptiv Black is designed to limit UV rays and sunscreen from damaging the fiber and impacting how a garment fits and functions. This makes it useful for activewear and athleisure apparel. The fiber technology also affords the “spun-in” pure black color from becoming “grin-through,” or too shiny. Related Stories Topics NFW Looks to Shift Mirum Alt Leather Into 'Large-Scale Production' Topics Why NRF Acquired the Reverse Logistics Association
The Lycra Adaptiv Xtra Life fiber for swimwear can last up to 10 times longer than garments featuring conventional spandex while still offering “dynamic comfort” and a “wider fit window” that adapts to a broader range of body shapes and types.
“What’s unique about our offering in Xtra Life is that it’s resistant to sweat, it’s resistant to UV and other fatty acids—basically suntan lotion—and when you put all those things together in the beach environment or a swimming environment, that’s where you can see a rapid drop-off in terms of stretch performance,” Stewart said.
Lycra Sheer Sensation technology answers the consumer demand for a “permanent solution to annoying static cling.” It’s a proprietary anti-static version of Lycra fiber proven “to negate the effects of static even when worn with materials and fabrics known to be particularly prone to static cling,” such as those used to make pantyhose and tights. Suited for sheer legwear, the cling-free component is “integrated within the fiber, allowing hosiery to be manufactured as usual with no compromise to the garment’s comfort, fit or performance.” Plus, stockings made with Sheer Sensation tech can be machine or hand-washed without compromising the cling-fighting properties because the fiber contains a unique additive that “allows the spandex to be the carrier for the anti-static benefit,” Stewart added.
The Intertextile Shanghai trade show was also the Asia-Pacific launch pad of “Waste for Good,” the Lycra Company’s sustainability brand campaign promoting circularity via the company’s Coolmax and Thermolite EcoMade technologies made from textile waste.
“The idea is that using textile waste is the right thing to do; in this case, we’re starting mostly with textile waste that’s pre-consumer and ultimately our vision is to work with customers to be able to take that [waste] from post-consumer garments,” Stewart said. “This really was creating the idea that there’s awareness that waste can be used for something better.”
Lycra wants the shift the circular narrative away from turning plastic bottles into fashion and promote a textile-to-textile economy instead, he said.
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