Rated a major source of growth as production base
LYCRA is one of INVISTA’s most recognized brands. More than 90 per cent of consumers around the world recognize this brand and are aware of the value it adds to their apparel products. INVISTA, owner of the LYCRA brand and one of the world’s largest integrated producers of fibers and polymers, is investing in the Asian apparel market.
What has made LYCRA fiber such a visible and globally successful brand? Why does the apparel market increasingly recognize INVISTA as a strategic supplier? Andrew Evans, INVISTA Apparel & Advanced Textiles Commercial Director in Asia (excl. China), shares his business philosophy on innovation and growth and plans to bring high-value products to consumers in Asia.
Growth through investments
According to Evans, INVISTA views Asia as a major source of growth, both as a consumer market and as a production base. INVISTA operates four LYCRA fiber production facilities in the region, including a joint venture, and is continuously investing in capacity throughout the Asian supply chain to continue to provide high quality products.
“We recently invested in new capabilities at our Foshan plant in China, which produces high-quality spandex ranging from 20-denier to 70-denier for multiple textile processing applications,” said Evans. “As a newer site, INVISTA’s Foshan manufacturing facility features upgraded technology, state-of-the-art equipment and the operational excellence customers have come to expect from INVISTA’s sites.”
Along with building capacity, INVISTA is committed to bringing the newest technologies to the region. In 2012, it established the China Textile Research Center in Shanghai to support the development and commercialization of new fiber, fabric and garment innovations.
In Singapore, INVISTA has developed its Tuas plant as a specialty fibers and innovation center for Asia sourcing its industry-leading product for intimate apparel (862W) and LYCRA® XTRA LIFE fiber for swimwear (275B), among other innovations.
In the last two years, INVISTA has continued to build its specialty product capabilities in Asia by expanding production capacity for LYCRA EASY SET fiber (562B) and LYCRA BLACK fiber (275Z).
“INVISTA continues to invest in its relationship with the important market of India – both direct mill customers and consumers benefit from the focused sales, technical & marketing support we provide to our India partners. This is clearly demonstrated through our strong relationship with Arvind. Over the past few years the partnership of INVISTA and Arvind has driven many denim innovations in the market, bringing differentiated products to consumers,” says Evans.
Creating value through innovation
Continuous innovation and profitable investments are critical to INVISTA’s success and enable it to act as a strategic supplier for its customers.
Take denim, for example. INVISTA’s heritage in denim dates back to the late 1970s when the company began working with mills to develop stretch denim with LYCRA fiber. Since then, it has introduced a variety of new products and technologies to enhance the consumer wear experience. In 2000, it introduced LYCRA T400 fiber, a product so unique it was granted its own generic. Fabrics with LYCRA T400 fiber have moderate stretch with long-lasting recovery, so garments keep their shape.
In 2009, the “super stretch” trend hit the denim market, presenting yet another challenge for garment manufacturers. Brands and retailers were demanding fabrics with 30 to 50 per cent stretch, sometimes more, but such high stretch fabrics also tended to have high shrinkage and high growth, meaning garments would shrink or bag out.
To address this issue, INVISTA introduced its patented LYCRA dualFX fabric technology which combines two stretch fibers – LYCRA fiber and LYCRA T400 fiber – into a single fabric. The LYCRA fiber allows for high stretch and the LYCRA T400 fiber provides excellent recovery, so consumers can wear jeggings and skinny jeans without concerns about the garments losing their shape.
Today, LYCRA dualFX fabric technology has been adopted by a wide range of popular brands and retailers, including American Eagle, GAP and JC Penny, among others. Sales of LYCRA dualFX yarns have more than doubled in recent years.
In response to the growing consumer demand for comfortable shaping apparel, LYCRA BEAUTY branded fabrics were recently developed based on INVISTA’s the Science of Shaping technology. Using a combination of proprietary wear force testing, wearer feedback and body scanning, the technology can predict a fabric’s capability to provide comfortable shaping. Since its launch, LYCRA® BEAUTY-branded fabrics have evolved to encompass everything from intimate apparel to swimwear, and the shaping technology platform is moving into the denim market.
According to INVISTA’s consumer insight studies, nearly 80 per cent of women were very or extremely interested in ready-to-wear garments that could enhance body shape. The research identified a “satisfaction gap” in existing denim shaping and body enhancement. More than 60 per cent of women preferred the denim fabric in their jeans to provide shaping benefits, rather than purchase shapewear garments separately. INVISTA responded, and the first domestic retail launch of shaping jeans with LYCRA BEAUTY fiber to Chinese consumers took place in autumn 2015.
While creating innovative solutions that meet customer demands, INVISTA strives to reduce the environmental impact of the products and processes in its apparel fiber operations. In 2008, INVISTA Apparel & Advanced Textiles launched Planet Agenda, a framework focused on delivering value, insights, technology, processes and products while conserving resources at all levels of the value chain.
Looking ahead
With regards to the future, Evans said: “INVISTA plans to continue identifying and evaluating growth opportunities in this region, to help serve the expanding customer base and meet consumers’ needs in Asian countries.”
One area INVISTA is exploring is the emerging category of performance denim. It sees performance fibers, previously used exclusively in activewear, moving into the jean market, as demonstrated by activewear brands integrating denim into their lines. This fusion has created a new category of apparel – performance denim – and INVISTA is at the forefront of providing technologies to meet the needs of this growing segment. Offerings such as COOLMAX fabric, which helps keep the wearer cool and dry, THERMOLITE fabric that brings warmth to jeans without the weight, and TOUGH MAX LYCRA fabrics which are twice as strong as 100 per cent cotton jeans are helping to define the category.
“We see many other profitable opportunities to introduce new INVISTA apparel technologies and marketing support to our India partners,” says Evans. “We must do this in a way that takes into account the changing landscape in India and the ever increasing demands of our direct and indirect customers. Having invested considerable time and resources working directly with all stakeholders in India over so many years we believe we are well placed to do this today and to continue our commitment to this special market well into the future.”