The LYCRA Company Sponsors Bodywear Collective Zone at Performance Days, Launches New LYCRA® Fiber for Improved Dyeability

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative and sustainable fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and textile industry, is the headline sponsor of the new Bodywear Collective zone for next-to-skin garments at Performance Days, October 23-24 in Munich, Germany.

Some of the world’s leading mills are providing fabrics for Bodywear Collective garments, including Carvico, Eurojersey, Jersey Lomellina, Liebaert, Penn Textile Solutions, and Tefron. LYCRA® brand technologies, including LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber, LYCRA® BEAUTY brand, LYCRA® SPORT brand, and LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™ fiber, power the performance garments on display. In addition, garment maker Regina Miracle is presenting shapewear featuring the lightweight, targeted support of LYCRA FitSense® print technology.

The LYCRA® brand booth in the Bodywear Collective also showcases fabrics featuring LYCRA® CHROMA fiber for improved color and visual appearance in stretch fabrics. A broad spectrum of deeper, richer colors can be achieved using LYCRA® CHROMA fiber, which reduces double-face fabric color differences to improve color partition and eliminates elastane glitter and grin-through. This patented technology also delivers the lasting comfort, fit and shape of LYCRA® brand fibers.

In its Innovation Zone booth, The LYCRA Company highlights products designed to help reduce the environmental impact of apparel and meet consumer needs:

• Bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber made with QIRA®, the industry’s first bioderived spandex available at scale, will launch in the first half of 2025. Made with 70% renewable content derived from field corn, it potentially reduces the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44 percent* while delivering equivalent performance to the original fiber. No re-engineering of fabrics, processes, or garment patterns is required.

• LYCRA® FiT400™ fiber is a unique bicomponent fiber engineered to optimize the comfort and performance of knits while delivering a soft hand feel, all-day stretch, durable fit, and cooling comfort. This Global Recycled Standard-certified fiber contains 60% recycled PET and 14.4% bio-derived resources.

“Our sustainable solutions help reduce the carbon footprint of our customers' products and support their sustainability goals," said Chris Williams, lead technical and market development professional at The LYCRA Company. "We are eager to help attendees find the market-relevant, consumer-driven branded solutions that will elevate their offerings and help propel their business to new heights."

Williams will present an Expert Talk on “Innovation in sustainable stretch technology” at Performance Days, where he will discuss the development and commercialization of bio-derived LYCRA® fiber and the progress the company has made related to the end-of-life recyclability of spandex garments. His talk is on Thursday at 10:30 CEST on the Expert Talk Stage.

Further adding to The LYCRA Company’s presence at the show, Francis Mason, R&D sustainability engineer at The LYCRA Company, is participating in the Accelerating Circularity panel discussion on the topic, “What are the chemical risks in chemical recycling?” Visit Hall A2 (Reality Zone) at 14:00 CEST on October 23 or October 24 to join the conversation.

The LYCRA Company will also exhibit at the Functional Fabric Fair (powered by Performance Days) in Portland, Oregon, November 20 – 21. This trade show will also feature a Bodywear Collective zone sponsored by the company.

*Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA® fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc