INVISTA, owner of LYCRA brand, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of LYCRA fiber, the original spandex fiber that revolutionized the fashion industry, with a donation to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. Joseph C. Shivers, a DuPont chemist, invented one of the best-known branded fiber in the world back in 1958, and forever changed clothes and the way we wear them.
Sixty years later, Dr. Shivers is being recognized for his invention by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, where he will be posthumously inducted into the Class of 2018. The gala ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C. on May 3.
“This is an exciting year for the LYCRA brand as we pause to look back at how far we’ve come and look forward towards a bright future filled with innovative products designed to improve fabric performance,” said Dave Trerotola, president, INVISTA Apparel. “Throughout 2018, we will be developing engaging content for our media channels that celebrates our brand’s rich heritage.”
Originally invented to replace rubber threads that caused ladies’ foundation garments to lose their shape and fit over time, and made them hot and uncomfortable to wear, LYCRA fiber outperformed the natural fiber it replaced by adding lasting comfort, fit and the ability to move freely. It quickly became apparent that LYCRA fiber had the power to transform other types of women’s clothing and menswear too. Today, this nearly invisible fiber can be found in virtually every apparel segment, including lingerie, underwear, denim, activewear, hosiery, socks, swimwear, and ready-to-wear apparel. It has also been the catalyst for the development of new multi-billion-dollar segments across shapewear, stretch denim, compression sportswear and athleisure apparel. What began six decades ago has evolved into a portfolio of over 200 differentiated fibers designed to meet a wide variety of consumer needs
For more information on the National Inventors Hall of Fame and its induction ceremony, visit www.invent.org.
