The LYCRA® Brand Takes Denim to the Next Level with the "Allure of Shape"
The LYCRA® Brand Stages Ultimate Denim Experience at Fall 2007 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
WILMINGTON, DE (February, 2007 ) – For almost 50 years, the LYCRA® brand has been regarded as a secret weapon by top designers who rely on the innovative fiber to bring exceptional fit, shape and comfort to their denim creations. Once again, the LYCRA® brand is set to raise the stakes of denim innovation by showcasing new technology at the LYCRA® Denim Lounge during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This technology is now available to consumers in premium denim brands at select retailers.
INVISTA, which owns the LYCRA® brand, has been transforming the world of denim for decades. Beginning in the 1970s with the introduction of LYCRA® fiber into denim, INVISTA has been instrumental in the innovation and development of this fabric through each of its incarnations. Recent technological introductions are helping to lead the next revolution in denim, creating sexy, sleek and sinfully stylish looks that are changing the landscape of denim fashion.
This year’s LYCRA® Denim Lounge will unveil imagery from the new consumer advertising campaign, the space’s design reflecting the campaign’s tagline, "Allure of Shape." Images from the campaign will adorn the space, giving the Lounge the sense of movement, sensuality and fit evoked by the newly patented XFIT LYCRA® fabric technology featured in the ads. XFIT LYCRA®, a denim cross-weave technology available only under license from INVISTA, allows for better fitting and more comfortable garments because of the unique way it delivers the benefits of 360-degree shape and movement. This month, XFIT LYCRA® will be available to consumers from the first two brands to license the technology, J Brand and Serfontaine, at retailers including Barneys New York, Henri Bendel, Henry Lehr, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Designers from these two brands will make appearances at the LYCRA® Denim Lounge to talk about the way in which the fiber allows them to develop their denim creations. The booth will also showcase concept garments from LYCRA® design collaborators Zac Posen, Derek Lam, and 3.1 Phillip Lim.
The ad campaign will appear in consumer publications this spring, beginning with the March issue of ELLE. "The 2007 campaign is an evolution from where we began in Fall 2006," says Linda Kearns, Apparel Communications Director for INVISTA. "The focus is still on portraying the flexibility of the XFIT LYCRA® denim material, but in a way that more directly targets the consumer with an emphasis on the beauty, style, and sexiness of the fit this material provides. 'Allure of Shape' comes from the understanding that women feel beautiful and confident in jeans with XFIT LYCRA® denim and our campaign imagery reinforces this sensuality and sex appeal while also illustrating the flexibility."
INVISTA is further demonstrating its leadership in fashion innovation with its recently announced patent on warp stretch technology, which will be licensed to select mills, brands, and retailers. This LYCRA® brand offering represents the next evolution in denim by marrying the XFIT LYCRA® technology with T400™ fiber. Due to its high tensile and tear strength, T400™ fiber holds up under the toughest treatments from localized abrasions to total destruction. This newly patented technology will allow for the most innovative treatments to be applied during the design process without sacrificing the phenomenal comfort, movement, fit, and recovery qualities for which the LYCRA® brand is known.
As in years past, the LYCRA® brand also will continue to support designers through collection sponsorships that bring innovative new technologies to the top names in fashion seeking to create cutting-edge designs and consumer excitement in the apparel industry. This year, in addition to sponsoring Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week itself, the LYCRA® brand is sponsoring three designer runway collections: Derek Lam, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Zac Posen.
Derek Lam will feature LYCRA® throughout his Fall 2007 collection to enhance the structured shapes and provide an excellent fit on the body.
"Inspired by the Frank Gehry building on the West Side Highway and Wong Kar Wei’s "2046," the highly tailored silhouettes of my Fall 2007 collection contrast with asymmetric details to form unexpected, ultra contemporary constructions. Through the help of LYCRA®, I have been able to conceptualize and create corseted and form fitting garments that are body conscious without sacrificing fit, comfort, or style."
The LYCRA® brand is also collaborating with designer Phillip Lim for a third season, who incorporates LYCRA® into a variety of looks.
"As a designer, LYCRA® has helped to make my vision become a reality and my job easier. Since the first 3.1 Phillip Lim collection, it has been instrumental to the union of form and function in our designs," says Lim. "For fall ’07, dresses, skirts, and pants are created in a modern way using wool or denim with a LYCRA® blend that results in a look of cool and easy refinement."
The LYCRA® Denim Lounge can be found in the lobby at the tents in Bryant Park for the duration of Fall 2007 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, February 2nd- 9th. For more information, log on to www.xfitlycra.com.
