INVISTA and Lenzing, two premier innovators and fiber producers, are continuing their collaboration, working throughout the value chain to bring super soft denim with enhanced performance to the consumer. For autumn/winter 2015/16 they are promoting new styles with TENCEL and the LYCRA dualFX technology from a variety of mills.
“We’re pleased to see how the value chain is embracing this concept,” said Jean Hegedus, Global Denim Director for INVISTA. “These fabrics really address the consumer’s need for soft, luxurious denim that performs and keeps its shape, wash after wash, and wear after wear.”
“Fabric development is at the heart of the innovation strategy for both Lenzing and INVISTA,” said Michael Kininmonth of Lenzing. “To win in today’s market you have to offer something unique, and these fabrics do just that.”
Two of the mills that pioneered this concept, Tejidos Royo of Spain and ADM of Pakistan, showcased their latest styles at Kingpins Amsterdam. According to Panos Sofianos of Tejidos Royo, Royo’s MeSu line includes fine, sophisticated denims made with TENCEL and INVISTA’s LYCRA dualFX technology. “With an ultra soft hand feel and fantastic shape memory, these fabrics go a step beyond into the future of textile making,” Sofianos said.
Faisal Ahmed of ADM believes combining the LYCRA dualFX technology with TENCEL makes jeans wearable all year long. “This opens a whole new segment to us and truly makes denim the 24/7 garment we want it to be.
Two new European mills which are introducing TENCEL fabrics with the LYCRA dualFX technology for the first time this season are Textil Santanderina of Spain and Orta of Turkey. Ramon Rios, Commercial Director of Textil Santanderina, indicated the company is using TENCEL with the LYCRA dualFX technology to get shape retention even in super skinny jeans along with the super soft hand feel of TENCEL and cotton. “Called ‘Suprelast’ our collection combines the natural hand feel of TENCEL and cotton with the LYCRA dualFX technology for the perfect shape and freedom of movement,” Rios said.
According to Ibrahim Gunes of Orta, the most important parameters for premium stretch denim are touch and recovery and that’s why Orta uses TENCEL with the LYCRA dualFX technology in their fabrics. “The soft touch and luxurious feeling of TENCEL allows us to create a premium look in our denim designs. At the same time, the LYCRA dualFX technology allows us to achieve superb recovery performance which is essential for high stretch denim that has become so popular over the last three to four years,” Gunes said.
From North Asia, both Central Fabrics and Prosperity have created novel options combining these two fibers. Michael Lam, Senior Manager for Central Fabrics, indicated that jeans made from their fabrics with TENCEL and LYCRA dualFX technology are comfortable to wear and retain their shape and fit over time. “The fabric surface is also more elegant, with a premium aesthetic, whether you’re talking about tops or bottoms,” Lam said.
Andrew Olah, advisor to Prosperity, believes the combination of these two fibers allows Prosperity to create fabrics that offer the best in recovery, hand feel, stretch, and strength. “This combination is simply the best of the best and allows us to create the caliber and quality of fabric our customers demand,” he said.