#Sustainability

2022-06-02

The LYCRA Company to join panel discussion at the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network annual meeting

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative fiber and technology solutions for the textile and apparel industry, will join a panel discussion at the inaugural United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network Annual Meeting taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on June 2.

With its recent commercialization of COOLMAX® and THERMOLITE® fibers made from 100% textile waste, The LYCRA Company is uniquely positioned to participate in the discussion titled Responsible Consumption and Production: Designing for Our Times. Jean Hegedus, sustainability director, The LYCRA Company, will share her perspective on how the company is scaling recycling solutions to help address the challenge of textile waste.

The meeting will welcome United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network advisory committee members and registered partnerships by industry stakeholders, media, Governments and United Nations system entities to highlight actions, solutions, and progress from the fashion and lifestyle sectors to advance sector engagement in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations Member States in 2015. Discussions will focus on confronting the climate crisis, achieving gender equality throughout the value chain, and ensuring a resilient post-pandemic recovery.

“The LYCRA Company recognizes that the journey towards a more sustainable future is a collective effort across the industry,” said Kerry Bannigan, executive director, Fashion Impact Fund. “We are thrilled to have them join our first annual meeting to discuss solutions that will accelerate the fashion and lifestyle sector’s implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

As the apparel industry looks to rapidly develop solutions for a circular economy, The LYCRA Company is focused on a variety of fiber and fabric innovations that reduce or divert waste, keeping materials in use and out of landfills. The company’s EcoMade family of recycled offerings includes LYCRA®, COOLMAX® and THERMOLITE® fibers made from both pre- and post-consumer waste. The LYCRA Company invites the industry to Keep in the Loop with LYCRA to learn about its latest sustainable innovations and circularity advancements, while also promoting collaboration.

The United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network’s inaugural annual meeting is co-convened by the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund.

Spokesperson Biography:

Jean Hegedus is the sustainability director for The LYCRA Company. Ms. Hegedus has over 35 years of experience in the textile industry, working first with The DuPont Company, and then INVISTA, before moving to The LYCRA Company in 2019. Over the course of her career, she has held a variety of positions in public affairs, marketing, licensing and branding. She began working in the denim segment in 2007, bringing several important innovations to market, including LYCRA® XFIT, LYCRA® dualFX®, LYCRA® BEAUTY, and LYCRA® EcoMade technologies. It was also her work within the denim segment that heightened her awareness of the need for more sustainable solutions, and in July of 2019, she was appointed sustainability director for The LYCRA Company. Ms. Hegedus has a master’s degree in communications from the University of Delaware.

The LYCRA Company will join a panel discussion at this year’s United Nations Conscious Fashion & Lifestyle Network Annual Meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on June 2. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

SAITEX reports efficiency gains and greater transparency in 2025 Impact Report

Vietnam-based denim manufacturer SAITEX has published its 2025 Impact Report, documenting progress in resource efficiency, chemical management, digital traceability and knowledge sharing across its manufacturing operations in Vietnam and the United States. Rather than focusing on sustainability ambitions, the report presents operational data, manufacturing developments and lessons learned from the past year.

Heberlein reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market

Heberlein, globally recognised as a leading provider of air interlacing and air texturing jets for synthetic filament yarns, is consolidating its success in the Chinese market with its APh- and APe-series for DTY applications. Particularly in the field of Air Covering, Heberlein technologies combine excellent quality with significant savings in compressed-air consumption. A new service hub in Shengze City underlines the company’s long-term commitment in the Chinese market.

RE&UP’s Next-Gen Cotton fibers power Zalando private label t-shirt collection crafted from innovative recycled textiles

RE&UP Recycling Technologies’ Next-Gen Cotton powers a new collection from Zalando’s private labels, marking a step forward in bringing textile-to-textile recycled fibers into commercial fashion production. Launching on Zalando in August, the collection comprises five t-shirts across YOURTURN by Zalando and Even&Odd by Zalando, made from a circular-knit fabric blending 80% organic cotton with 20% RE&UP Next-Gen Cotton — textile-to-textile recycled fiber produced from textile waste. This is the first time RE&UP's recycled fibers feature in Zalando's private label assortment.

Heimtextil Trends 27/28: ‘Home-Maxxing’ between performance and respite

Sleep better, recover faster, live more efficiently: the desire for optimisation has long since reached our homes. Under the title ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’, Heimtextil Trends 27/28 show how our relationship with efficiency-driven thinking and technology is influencing the design of spaces and textiles. The more sleep, wellness, routines, materials and spaces are optimised, the stronger the desire for a home that does not demand even more of us.