“The new yarns have been designed and engineered to meet the rapid growth in active and fitness wear, as well as the athleisure market, which has been identified by some not just as a fashion trend but as a cultural change, particularly in the womenswear sector,” the company explains.

The new yarns also aim to address the growing crossover interest and demand from the fashion sector to incorporate functionality into fashion, and vice versa. The sports and outdoor sectors are now looking into ways to introduce a sense of fashion into already functional products, so that the products not only perform well, but also look and feel good.

Xinao’s new range of “fashion meets performance” yarns include built in moisture management, UV-blocking, enhanced wear performance, water resistance, anti-bacterial, stretch-recovery, and yarns designed for production of compression garments, the company reports.