Lycra outlines progress with double debut in Cannes
Lycra’s vice-president of apparel for Europe and South Asia has outlined to sportstextiles.com the advances the company is making towards its sustainability goals as it presented the European debut of its latest products at French fabric fair MarediModa.
Alistair Williamson highlighted the recent successful recycling of a garment made with 70% polyester and 30% Lycra; after being chemically broken down, both were recovered and the Lycra was spun into a new fabric.
“The fabric performed exactly the same,” he said. While he admitted there is still “a way to go” in terms of separation and recovery, he added: “We are really pleased about it because we thought it was not possible.”
He outlined this, the company’s plans to use bio BDO from corn as a raw material – through a tie-up with US producer Qore - and a switch to renewable resources at its manufacturing plants among the ways it plans to reach an ambitious 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 2021 and 2030.
Lycra returned to MarediModa as the main sponsor, a role it has played since the show's inception. It hosted partners and brands in the Lycra Lounge, and presented its latest developments for the swimwear and activewear sectors: Adativ Xtra Life and Adaptiv Black.
Launched two years ago, Adaptiv fibres “allow brands to make garments that offer a better fit for various lifestyles, movements and body types”, said the company.
The Adaptiv Xtra Life fibre builds on this and adds resistance to chlorine, heat and sun creams.
Mr Williamson told us: “One of the biggest reasons swimwear breaks down or loses its power is that the chlorine breaks down the spandex. Xtra Life is a package we put into the Lycra to protect it against chlorine, it will resist up to 10 times more hours in the swimming pool. Spandex also breaks down with unsaturated fatty acids, these are found in sun cream; for instance when people rub excess sun cream on their swimsuits. Perspiration can also break it down, as can ultraviolet light and long exposure to high temperatures.”
One of Lycra’s tests was to compare an Xtra Life garment and standard swimsuit in the boot of a car, simulating costumes being left as people go for lunch, then comparing the results.
Adaptiv Black fibre, primarily designed for athleisure and activewear, delivers a “second-skin fit” and enhances black and dark fabrics, giving colours an intensity and reducing elastane “grin-through and glitter”.
“People might throw away a garment if it has lost its colour,” added Mr Williamson. “We have spun some black pigment into Lycra Black, it keeps dark colours looking as though they’re new for longer, so it helps prolong the useful life of the garment.”
Find out more about Lycra’s plans and developments in the upcoming issue of WSA.
