Lycra will launch its latest denim innovation product Lycra® non-slip fiber for the first time during the Kingpins24-Amsterdam online event this month. Every day of the virtual expo, live and on-demand panel discussions, seminars and interviews will explore different themes that affect the global denim industry – inspiration (October 27), innovation (October 28), fiber and raw materials ( October 29) and People and Society (October 30). Due to COVID-19 concerns, Kingpins switched its denim trade show to an online format for the third time. The previous events held in April and September attracted more than 4,000 live viewers and more than 38,000 on-demand content views.
Leaders from Lycra will play an important role in the agenda. On October 28th, the newly appointed Chief Innovation Officer Steve Stewart will discuss the company's innovation process. More than 100 PhDs in the company's four most advanced R&D laboratories are dedicated to developing innovative fiber, fabric and apparel solutions for the apparel industry.
"Our innovation strategy meets both the explicit and implicit needs of our consumers and customers, and is guided by proprietary research, trends and insights," Stewart said. "We focus on finding innovative and improved products or processes for Customers add value and solve pain points. Our stretching technology has completely changed the textile and apparel industry. We will continue to challenge ourselves to promote further product differentiation and help redefine our competitive market."
Stewart will display Lycra® non-slip fiber, a new anti-slip solution for denim seams, suitable for single-core spandex fabrics that require long-lasting elasticity and good resilience. This fiber is patenting, which helps maintain the appearance of the garment even with repeated washing.
The use of Lycra® anti-slip fiber in the core of Lycra® dualFX® technical yarn can further improve the anti-slip performance of the yarn. At the same time, the combination of Lycra® anti-slip fiber and LYCRA® T400® fiber can realize the high elasticity and excellent anti-skid performance of Lycra® fiber, and also endow the fiber Lycra® T400® fiber with excellent resilience.
"Jeans are the most common returned clothing for online shopping," Born said. "Most jeans returns are related to style or fit, which causes consumers to be dissatisfied with the quality or beauty of the product. Some of these problems may be related to seams slipping. With Lycra® non-slip fibers, consumers can have super stretch jeans that can last longer while maintaining their fit and shape.
On October 29th, Chief Commercial Officer Julien Born and Director of Sustainable Business Development Jean Hegedus will discuss how Lycra designs technical solutions for the circular economy. Hegedus was recently appointed to a new position, which expanded her responsibility for sustainability. This new appointment further emphasizes that Lycra is not only committed to sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, but also emphasizes that the company uses Planet Agenda to drive competitive advantage and create value with customers.
Earlier this month, Hegedus was selected as the Rivet 50 list of the most influential leaders in the global denim industry in 2020. This 35-year-old textile industry veteran has helped bring many significant innovations to the market, including Lycra® XFIT, Lycra® dualFX®, Lycra® BEAUTY and Lycra® EcoMade technologies.
"The durability of clothing is increasingly important for today's conscious consumers who are committed to a more sustainable future," Hegedus said. "At Lycra, we are committed to developing products and technologies to improve the performance of our customers At the same time, we minimize our environmental footprint and protect the health and safety of employees and communities."
Lycra innovates and produces fiber and technical solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, as well as specialty chemicals for the spandex and polyurethane value chain. Lycra is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, and is renowned worldwide for its innovative products, technical expertise and unparalleled marketing support. Lycra has leading consumer and trade brands, including Lycra®, Lycra HyFit®, Lycra®T400®, COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX®, TACTEL® and TERATHANE®. Although the name of the Lycra company is new, its history can be traced back to 1958 when the original spandex yarn Lycra® fiber was invented. Today, Lycra focuses on adding value to customers' products and developing unique and innovative products to meet consumer demand for comfort and long-lasting performance.