The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative and sustainable fiber and technology solutions for the apparel industry, previewed samples made with bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber at Performance Days Munich stand BW09-10, held on March 5 – 6. When it was launched commercially later that year, this highly anticipated fiber was made from annually renewable Iowa field corn to help reduce the environmental impact of apparel.
Bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber became the world’s first large-scale commercially available renewable elastane. It delivered equivalent performance to the original LYCRA® fiber and required no re-engineering of fabrics, processes, or garment patterns. The product contained 70 percent renewable content and had the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44%*.
“Bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber seamlessly blended sustainability with the lasting comfort, fit, and performance consumers desired,” said Nicolas Banyols, chief commercial officer of The LYCRA Company. “This breakthrough innovation also helped our customers as they worked towards their own sustainability goals.
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The company also promoted its cooling and warming performance fibers, COOLMAX® and THERMOLITE® EcoMade fiber made from 100% textile waste, LYCRA® T400® EcoMade fiber, a recyclable polyester stretch fiber made from a combination of the recycled and renewable resources, and LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber that enabled a second-skin fit and inclusive sizing.
Dr. Alberto Ceria, senior applications development professional, gave an Expert Talk titled “The LYCRA® Brand’s Journey Towards Circularity: From Renewable Resources to End-of-Life Solutions,” covered the company’s commitment to developing sustainable and circular solutions, including bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber, its progress on end-of-life initiatives to recycle LYCRA® fiber creating virtuous loops, and addressing the European Green Deal policy package.
Chris Williams, lead technical and market development professional, expanded The LYCRA Company’s reach at the show by participating in a Trend Talk panel discussion, “Making a Splash in Swimwear” explored key challenges in swimsuit design.
He explained how LYCRA® brand solutions functioned and addressed common consumer pain points in the category.
LYCRA® brand returned as the presenting sponsor of the Bodywear Collective, located across from its stand. Inside the exhibit, the Innovation Zone featured tunnels displaying activewear, shapewear, underwear, swimwear, and seamless garments crafted from high-performance fabrics sourced from leading global mills.
Advanced stretch solutions from the LYCRA® ADAPTIV, LYCRA FitSense®, LYCRA® SPORT, and LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™ brands enhanced the collection.
*Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA® fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc.
