#Yarn & Fiber

2022-11-17

HeiQ and The LYCRA Company introduce the new LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology

HeiQ, an industry leader in performance finish technologies, and The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative and sustainable fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced the launch of LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology, a proprietary textile finishing process for 100% cotton knit garments designed for mass market applications. Developed in collaboration, it is the latest example of both companies’ ongoing efforts to bring more innovative and sustainable textile technologies to consumers worldwide.

HeiQ and The LYCRA Company created a new and durable solution for 100% cotton fabric, adding stretch and recovery properties while keeping it fully recyclable.

LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology, powered by HeiQ, enhances cotton knitwear, addressing critical consumer pain points, and improving the consumer’s overall wearing experience. This technology provides durable comfort stretch, fit, and soft hand-feel to 100% cotton knitwear compared to conventional finishes.

Even after repeated washing and wearing, LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology helps knitwear retain its shape, which helps extend the garment’s lifespan and potentially reduce its environmental impact.

“Combining The LYCRA Company’s expertise in stretch fibers with HeiQ’s renowned innovation in textile chemical finishing has resulted in a truly unique, added-value technology that offers enhanced performance to cotton knitwear,” said Mike Mordente, head of the business unit textiles at HeiQ. “I am confident that LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology will open up a new generation of enhanced stretch and recovery garments with comfort and durability.”

“LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology enhances the stretch and recovery properties of cotton knit fabrics and does so in a durable way with outstandingly soft hand,” added Nicolas Banyols, chief commercial officer at The LYCRA Company. “This breakthrough innovation not only improves the performance of everyday 100% cotton knitwear but is easy for mills to implement as it requires no investment in new equipment. We value HeiQ’s technical expertise and are excited to collaborate on the commercialization of this technology.”

All knits that use LYCRA® naturalFX™ technology can be submitted to The LYCRA Company’s labs for quality control testing to ensure all consumer benefits are delivered, including comfort stretch, breathability, and durable fit. New logos will feature both the LYCRA® and HeiQ brands and will be supported by customizable co-branded POS materials featuring the tagline, “In Sync with Nature’s Rhythm,” which are also available to brands and retailers.

While The LYCRA Company is leading the commercialization of this technology, HeiQ will collaborate and support the introduction through their brand network as well as manufacturing and selling the finishing directly to textile mills, leveraging their established global technical services to deliver optimized performance.

HEIQ expands in ASIA with BIG SUNSHINE as key partner

HeiQ, a global leader in materials and textile innovation, is strengthening its presence in Asia by onboarding BIG SUNSHINE CO., LTD. as a key full-service partner in the region. This collaboration aims to further improve HeiQ’s overall service capabilities in Taiwan and across the wider Asian region, furthering its vision of global expansion and footprint in Asia.

HeiQ announces return to private company structure

HeiQ, a leading innovator in materials technology, announced its decision to return to private company structure from the London Stock Exchange as part of a strategic move to focus resources, streamline operations, and accelerate growth, effective November 19, 2024 (LSE:HEIQ). HeiQ shares will continue trading on the JP Jenkins securities or a similar matching platform from November 20, 2024.

HeiQ and GQ Apparel bring biobased cooling to denim in Thailand

HeiQ, a global leader in textile and materials innovation, proudly announces a strategic cooperation with GQ Apparel, a premier Thailand-based tech apparel brand. GQ Apparel enhances it denim offering with HeiQ’s advanced cooling solution, marking a significant milestone in the Southeast Asian market.

Lenzing and Kaihara to debut REMOD denim collection at Kingpins Amsterdam

The Lenzing Group, a global producer of wood-based fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, has partnered with Japanese denim manufacturer Kaihara Corporation to launch the “REMOD Collection”. The collection combines three of Lenzing's fiber offerings for denim applications: TENCEL™ Lyocell Standard, TENCEL™ Lyocell – HV100 and TENCEL™ Lyocell dtex 2.2.

Circ and Huafon partner to scale textile-to-textile recycling in China

Circ® and Huafon, a leading spandex producer in China, are partnering to build and scale a new multi-phase textile-to-textile recycling site in China, expanding Circ's global pathway to industrial scale. The project will be located within Huafon's industrial footprint and will use Circ's technology to process polycotton textile waste and recycle both inputs, recovering recycled PTA, recycled MEG and recycled cellulosic pulp for use in new textiles. The site will be developed in phases, with Phase 1 designed for approximately 200 metric tons of textile waste per day and additional capacity planned.

Georg Stausberg, a veteran of the textile machinery industry, takes over as Rieter Group CEO

Georg Stausberg, one of the most experienced executives in the international textile machinery industry, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Rieter Group with immediate effect from 4 November 2026. With more than three decades of industry experience and a long-standing leadership career at Barmag, Stausberg brings extensive technological expertise, international market knowledge and an established network across the global textile industry to his new position.

Jeanologia and BCome connect factory data with Life Cycle Assessment and Digital Product Passports

A new white paper by EIM by Jeanologia and BCome demonstrates how primary environmental data from denim finishing processes can be integrated into a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and prepared for use in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). A comparative case study highlights significant improvements at the production stage while also showing how these translate into the environmental performance of the finished garment.

Inside the Making connects denim and sportswear supply chains at Ecomondo 2026

Six European companies are joining forces at Ecomondo 2026 in Rimini to demonstrate how different stages of denim and sportswear production are interconnected. The new initiative, Inside the Making, highlights the importance of cooperation across the textile supply chain in addressing sustainability challenges, from reducing resource consumption to improving transparency and the reliability of environmental claims.

EDANA welcomes definitive EU anti-dumping measures on Chinese PET spunbond

EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has welcomed the European Commission's decision to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of PET spunbond originating in China. The association considers the measures an important step towards restoring fair competition and safeguarding European industrial capacity.