#Yarn & Fiber

2022-06-30

The LYCRA Company announces new equity ownership

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced that a group of financial institutions, comprising Lindeman Asia, Lindeman Partners Asset Management, Tor Investment Management, and China Everbright Limited (“New Shareholders”), have gained full equity control of the Company.

Current management team continues to run business with full shareholder support

“We fully support The LYCRA Company’s world-class management team and their continued stewardship of The LYCRA Company”

The change of equity control follows the conclusion of the receivership process that started in February when the New Shareholders initiated an enforcement action against Ruyi Textile and Fashion International Group Limited, the former parent of The LYCRA Company, for loan defaults associated with its purchase of The LYCRA Company in January 2019.

The LYCRA Company has grown into one of the most powerful global franchises in the textile industry with its world-class brands, including LYCRA®, COOLMAX®, and THERMOLITE®, unique marketing services, and wide network of partners across the global value chain. In addition, The LYCRA Company’s diverse and broad innovation capabilities and robust intellectual property estate of over 800 patents have helped it build long-standing strategic relationships with most leading producers, brands, and retailers.

With its new ownership and governance in place, The LYCRA Company will continue to focus on accelerating the implementation of its vision, including sustainable solutions that advance circularity, strategic technology partnerships to develop and scale up a wider range of innovative materials, and ongoing digital transformation initiatives. This is fully supported by the New Shareholders who have a proven track record of financing and investing in companies across Asia and globally and working with Boards of Directors on business and operational plans to enhance long-term value creation. The New Shareholders are committed to further helping The LYCRA Company strengthen its financial position and enable its long-term growth.

The LYCRA Company announces new equity ownership. Current management team led by CEO Julien Born continues to run business with full shareholder support. (Photo: Business Wire)

“I am thrilled to have the full support of our New Shareholders and incoming Board of Directors as we begin the next chapter in The LYCRA Company’s story,” said Julien Born, CEO of The LYCRA Company. “This new ownership structure provides the necessary backing from experienced investment professionals who share our long-term vision.”

“We fully support The LYCRA Company’s world-class management team and their continued stewardship of The LYCRA Company,” said a spokesperson for the New Shareholders. “The LYCRA Company is in a strong financial position, has a solid foundation for long-term growth, and we look forward to working with the team to provide continued support for The LYCRA Company’s future growth.”

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

HeiQ & Archroma and Lenzing & Armedangels win ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.