INVISTA ANNOUNCES PATENT ON LYCRA® BRAND
WARP STRETCH TECHNOLOGY
WILMINGTON, Del., February 2, 2007 – INVISTA announced today it has been granted a patent on warp stretch technology, a key component in the development of bi-stretch denim fabrics used in making XFIT LYCRA® garments. XFIT LYCRA® fabric is INVISTA’s brand concept for garments that deliver the benefits of 360-degree shape and movement because they stretch and recover in multiple directions.
Fabrics made with the new technology contain T400® fiber in the warp, or in both the warp and weft, allowing designers to employ a variety of aggressive washes and abrasions without sacrificing the comfort and fit for which LYCRA® is known. T400® is INVISTA’s registered trademark for fibers made with bi-component elasterell-p fibers.
This patent represents a breakthrough in the production of fabrics and garments with stretch in the warp direction. "This technology is particularly significant in denim where stabilization has always been a challenge in the indigo dyeing process," says Robert Kirkwood, INVISTA’s Global Vice President of Technology. "Our technology allows mills to control stretch during this process, resulting in balanced fabrics that provide both comfort and excellent shape retention."
INVISTA is licensing this technology to mills, brands and retailers. Garments from the first two brands to license this technology, J Brand and Serfontaine, launch this month at top retailers including Barneys, Fred Segal, Henry Lehr, Intermix and Saks Fifth Avenue.
The new warp stretch patent is the latest in a series of patents owned by INVISTA around bi-stretch technology. In December 2003 INVISTA was granted a patent on the use of bare LYCRA® fibers to achieve bi-stretch fabrics and garments. For more information on these technologies and how to become a licensee, contact Jean Hegedus, Ready-to-Wear Marketing Manager at 212-512-9481.
INVISTA is an integrated fibers, polymers and intermediates business with a global presence. It operates five major businesses: Apparel; Interiors; Intermediates; Performance Fibers; and Polymer and Resins. INVISTA delivers exceptional value for its customers through market insights and technology innovations, along with a powerful portfolio of some of the most recognized global brands and trademarks in their respective industries including: ADI-PURE®, ANTRON®, AVORA® FR, INVISTA® C12, COMFOREL®, COOLMAX®, CORDURA®, CORFREE®, DACRON®, INVISTA® DBE, DYTEK®, ESP®, FORCE™, INVISTA® NYCO, LYCRA®, POLARGUARD®, POLYSHIELD®, SOLARMAX®, STAINMASTER®, SUPPLEX®, SUPRIVA™, TACTEL®, TACTESSE®, TERATE®, TERATHANE® and THERMOLITE®. More information on INVISTA can be found at www.INVISTA.com.
LYCRA® is a registered trademark of INVISTA for premium stretch fibers and fabrics.