Invista reaffirmed its commitment and dedication to the Intimate Apparel industry during a gala celebration at the Pavillon Cambon in Paris, France, on 21 January when the company introduced its latest innovation for longer-lasting whites and clearer, more brilliant fashion colours in Intimate Apparel fabrics - Lycra fibre with W Technology.

More than 170 fabric and garment makers, brands and retailers, and members of the press were on-site to discover Invista's latest breakthrough technology for the Intimate Apparel industry.

Lycra fibre with W Technology has a package of enhancements that are said to improve visual and physical fabric uniformity with an optimised lustre, colour-blending, and new proprietary spinning technology. The new level of performance in elastane fibres is designed to offer improved whiteness retention, uniformity and brilliant colour clarity for fabrics and garments in intimate apparel.

Max Wiesendanger, Executive Vice President of Invista Apparel, Western Region, was present to introduce the technology to Europe.

 "The Lycra fibre brand has delivered multiple breakthroughs over the years in the apparel industry, conquering new frontiers in comfort, fit, functionality, and consumer concepts. Lycra fibre with W Technology is our latest solution and a step-change for Intimate Apparel, providing our customers with a better starting point in garment-making," he said.

Invista says the new technology will provide a robust enhancement for both warp and circular knit fabrics and will enable greater colouration and styling flexibility without changing fabric properties, thus providing garment designers with the increased confidence that both whites and fashion colours will be bright, long-lasting, and true.

Benefits of Lycra fibre with W technology

Lycra fibre with W Technology is said to have enduring whiteness. From fabric formation to the final selling floor, fabrics are bombarded with forces that dull brilliant whites, Invista claims. Lycra fibre T279W is designed to protect across the broad spectrum of these conditions.

According to Invista, Lycra fibre with W Technology is also invisible and its new level of dye pickup enables it to blend beautifully with polyamide colours. The company says, moulded cups and high-content fabrics can reach a new level of evenness and clarity.

Finally Lycra fibre with W Technology is expected to bring confidence in that it will help to create fashion colours without doubts, with the increased assurance that the fibre's enhanced invisibility comes with no loss in fastness.

Steve Stewart, Invista Apparel Global Director of Intimate Apparel & Swimwear, presented the benefits of Lycra fibre with W Technology, and its impact on the industry.

"Intimate Apparel has evolved from a category that is highly technical and hidden to one that is still highly technical, yet glamorous, fashionable, and meant to be seen," he said.

"We are confident that fabric produced with Lycra fibre with W Technology will reduce the number of times a designer avoids a fashion colour in a clothing line because it discolours or fades, and that it will increase the industry's flexibility to produce longer-lasting whites and brilliant colours with the same fabric."

Invista is working with expert European fabric producers to commercialize the new fibre technology. The industry players leading the prove-out into commercial fabrics, NV MARCEL LIEBAERT, Eurojersey Spa, Penn Textile Solutions GmbH, Carvico Spa, Dogi International Fabrics S.A, Elastic Textile Europe GmbH, Jersey Lomellina Spa, Julius Boos Jr. GmbH & Co KG, PIAVE MAITEX SPA, and Willy Hermann - SUPERFINE, will be the first to receive production of Lycra fibre T279W from the second quarter of 2012 onwards.