INVISTA, one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and owner of the LYCRA® fibre brand, demonstrated its vision for the future of activewear and swimwear at the Interfiliere, Mode City and SwimMiami trade shows this July. With decades of experience and knowledge in the sector, the LYCRA® MOVES ATHLEISURE platform created a stage to present the latest innovations driving the athleisure trend (predicted to grow another 30% by 2020 especially in Asia and the US) forward, offering stylish and high performance activewear to the innerwear market.
The technological advances made by LYCRA® brand for the sportswear industry are now being adopted in clothing, lingerie and shapewear offering performance benefits while being designed to be seen. Arnaud Ruffin, Strategy and Business Development Director at INVISTA Apparel, says: “For the innerwear market, athleisure represents an exciting new growth area for intimates and bodywear brands to expand their business and for fabric producers who develop performance yet comfy fabrics. We have the technology, knowledge and experience to do this.”
He adds: “For example, the sports bra category is growing and is widely adopted by millennials, now taking a 20% share of the market. Sports bras are being designed to be seen and not hidden and feature superior performance properties such as moisture management, odour control and built in heart monitors and we are now seeing brands expanding their product ranges to include matching tops and leggings.”
As a key ingredient in many swimsuit brands, the LYCRA® brand also brought to life 2018 trends for swimwear created in collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam during SwimMiami, which also hosted a series of four catwalk shows featuring swimwear by Hot-As-Hell, Robb & Lulu, Baes & Bikinis and San Lorenzo using the LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™ fibre.
Guests at the show also previewed the new LYCRA® brand global swim video that highlights the unrivalled benefits LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™ delivers to swimwear, ensuring it resists breakage and fit loss caused by chlorine and sunscreen as well as lasting up to ten times longer than unprotected spandex. The new global brand video will be made available to brands and fabric mills to promote the quality of their swimwear and fabric selection using LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™.
