The LYCRA Company showcases its new bio-derived LYCRA EcoMade fiber with 70% renewable content, promising reduced carbon footprint and high performance. Featured at Kingpins Amsterdam, the company highlights sustainable denim innovations, advanced fit technologies, and collaborations with key industry partners.

The LYCRA Company is set to present its groundbreaking bio-derived LYCRA EcoMade fiber at Kingpins Amsterdam on April 16-17, highlighting innovations in sustainability and denim technology. The company’s exhibit, located in Blue Area 11, will feature denim samples containing seed quantities of the renewable elastane fiber and offer visitors a fully immersive virtual reality (VR) experience that traces the fiber’s journey from farm to fabric.

Slated for commercial release later this year, the LYCRA EcoMade fiber is produced using QIRA technology with raw materials sourced from annually renewable dent corn grown in Iowa. Composed of 70 percent renewable content, the fiber is designed to reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA fiber by up to 44 percent while delivering performance equal to traditional LYCRA fiber. Importantly, this new fiber serves as a direct replacement without necessitating any re-engineering of fabrics, manufacturing processes, or garment patterns.

Arnaud Ruffin, The LYCRA Company’s vice president of brands and retail, emphasized the fiber’s dual appeal to performance and sustainability: “Our customers and their consumers are increasingly seeking products that not only meet high-performance standards but also align with their sustainability values. Bio-derived LYCRA EcoMade fiber represents a significant step forward in providing sustainable solutions without compromising on quality, and we are excited to share this innovative fiber with the denim industry at Kingpins Amsterdam.”

Among the highlights at Kingpins is the “7 Styles for 7 Days” project, a collaboration between The LYCRA Company and Diamond Denim of the Pakistan-based Sapphire Group. This initiative demonstrates how stretch denim incorporating bio-derived LYCRA EcoMade fiber can sustain comfort, fit, and shape across a week’s wardrobe while supporting environmental goals. The exhibit appears at both companies’ stands.

Turkish denim manufacturer ORTA will also showcase samples made from LYCRA EcoMade fiber combined with regenerative cotton. Sebla Onder, ORTA’s marketing and sustainability manager, expressed optimism about the market’s readiness for sustainable fabric innovation: “We are thrilled that Citizens of Humanity Group, one of our respected premium brand partners, has sourced this sustainable fabric for their AGOLDE brand, and we eagerly anticipate consumer reaction to this collection in the coming months. We are also looking forward to new, strong brand collaborations emerging from this amazing partnership.”

In addition to sustainability initiatives, The LYCRA Company continues to focus on advanced denim fit technology. The LYCRA FitSense system, which debuted at Kingpins Amsterdam the previous year, returns to the event. This patented technology delivers customized fits through discreet, targeted shaping zones, allowing designers to enhance areas for shaping, support, and lift, thereby improving consumer comfort and confidence. Building on this foundation, SPANX launched its first commercial denim program featuring SPANXsculpt ReDefine denim in January, marking a significant advancement in denim fit solutions.

For the fourth straight year, The LYCRA Company also collaborates with the House of Denim Foundation and Jean School students to present “Stretch Yourself #4: Denim of the Future, Designed by Gen Z.” The exhibition showcases denim garments created by student designers using innovative fabrics powered by LYCRA technologies, including COOLMAX EcoMade fiber, highlighting emerging talent and future-oriented textile solutions.

The LYCRA Company’s presentation at Kingpins Amsterdam underscores its continued commitment to combining sustainability with high-performance fabric innovations for the denim and apparel industry.

Source: Noah Wire Services