LYCRA® Rendez-Vous celebrates its 25th anniversary

Created in 1977, LYCRA® Rendez-Vous is the leading swimwear fabric exhibition worldwide. To celebrate its 25th anniversary the show takes centre stage at the Forum Grimaldi and showcases the latest innovation in LYCRA® and TACTEL®.

This year LYCRA® Rendez-Vous opens its doors to professionals from the fitness, athletics and soccer markets, in addition to the swimwear industry.

DuPont Apparel & Textile Sciences invites Olivier Lapidus, the famous French haute couture designer to imagine the swimwear of the future in a capsule collection, using the latest fibre innovations from DuPont.

DuPont's own Research and Development laboratories develop two unique concept garments to illustrate its commitment to constant innovation and meeting today's consumer's expectations.

Innovation takes centre stage

LYCRA® Rendez-Vous is the occasion to discover the technological advances made by DuPont Apparel & Textile Sciences with its latest innovations - TACTEL® prisma, TACTEL® metallics, T-400 and Easy Set LYCRA®.

Tactel® prisma, a unique yarn innovation based on patented technology, combines two polymers in one single yarn, for bi-tonal effects, that are uniquely soft and easy care.

Tactel® metallics, in gold and silver is making its entree in the sportswear market, thanks to its soft touch, unique and durable sheen, and its ability to offer designers new possibilities in knitted and woven garments.

T-400 a totally new, next-generation elastic fibre with potential to redefine consumer expectations of comfort, fit, softness and easy care in active sportswear. Also offers chlorine-resistance benefits, of particular importance to the swimwear mills and brands.

Easy Set LYCRA®, a breakthrough stretch fibre for heat-sensitive blends offers a number of important benefits in sportswear - excellent dimensional stability, minimal shrinkage, better initial whiteness and less yellowing during moulding.

Trend information

The latest trends for Spring/Summer 2003 in swimwear and beach sports will be at the heart of the fashion trends presented at the show. A forum dedicated to prototype garments specially developed for the occasion with our LYCRA® Assured mill partners will be displayed as part of the trends platform. Garment categories include : aquawear, aquagym, fitness, running, soccer and golf.

Another highlight of the show is the collaboration with Olivier Lapidus, who has designed the swimwear of the future, using TACTEL® prisma and TACTEL® metallics in unique creations, exclusively for DuPont (please refer to separate release for more information).

DuPont's R&D laboratories in the States have created two unique garments : a printed swimsuit in T-400 and a fitness outfit in Easy Set LYCRA® and LYCRA® Soft.

The unique feature of the suit in T-400 is that the print only appears when the suit is wet. This can avoid opacity problems, as well as open up new design possibilities.

The second garment is a fitness outfit made with two major LYCRA® breakthroughs : Easy Set LYCRA® and LYCRA® Soft. The garment sculpts and softly shapes the bust and bottom thanks to LYCRA® Soft, whilst providing maximum comfort and freedom of movement. Easy Set LYCRA® helps the garment to be moulded at lower temperatures and thus retain all its fit and shape retention benefits. A floral fragrance has been micro-encapsulated into the fabric, for a total sensation of well-being. For additional info about awomens swimsuits, and to review other swimsuit products, please select the link above.

Author Notes:

Peter Smith contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.bikini-bikini.com.  Bikinis and bathing suits for every body type plus accessories, maternity and special fits.