The Lycra Company received a very positive response to its new bio-derived Lycra EcoMade fibre at last week’s Kingpins Amsterdam denim exhibition.

The first commercially launched pair of denims to feature the new stretch fibre from US brand Agolde hit the stores just in time to be displayed at the show.

Set to launch commercially later this year, bio-derived Lycra EcoMade fibre will be sourced from annually renewable dent corn from Iowa. Comprising 70% renewable content, it has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of Lycra fibre by up to 44%, while delivering equivalent performance to the original Lycra fibre. It is a one-to-one replacement requiring no re-engineering of fabrics, processes or garment patterns.

“We pioneered Lycra fibre 65 years ago, and this marks the most significant advancement since its inception,” said Arnaud Ruffin, vice president of brands and retail at The Lycra Company, speaking at Kingpins Amsterdam. “The denim industry has already made strides toward sustainability with solutions for cotton and polyester. Now we are extending that progress to spandex. While we developed this technology a decade ago, the market wasn’t ready. But as the industry embraces circularity, the time for action is now.”

“It is compatible with all existing production technologies and most importantly, offers full traceability from the field to the finished product. Our goal is to transition 30% of our global Lycra fibre production to Lycra EcoMade.”

The ‘7 Styles for 7 Days’ project at Kingpins showcased how stretch denim made with bio-derived Lycra EcoMade fibre can transform wardrobes throughout the week, and was realised in collaboration Diamond Denim, a part of the Pakistan-based Sapphire Group.

Turkish denim manufacturer Orta also showcased samples made with bio-derived Lycra EcoMade and regenerative cotton at its stand and supplied the fabrics for the Agolde jeans.

“There was a very enthusiastic market response to our capsule collection launched in late 2024 and we are thrilled that Citizens of Humanity Group has sourced this sustainable fabric for its Agolde brand,” said Sebla Onder, Orta’s marketing and sustainability manager. “We are eagerly anticipating consumer reaction to this collection in the coming months.”

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