At Milano Unica, the Italian textile fair running July 7-9, bold new sustainable fabrics will be on view. Combining the quality and elegance of made-in-Italy design with the power and plant-based performance of renewable LYCRA® fiber, four of our European mill partners will showcase their latest offerings made with our most sustainable spandex/elastane fiber yet.
Mills crafting both knits and wovens will show how renewable LYCRA® fiber, made with 70% plant-based content, can be incorporated into premium ready-to-wear fabrics and retain the stretch and recovery power of classic LYCRA® fiber — all with a lighter touch on the planet.
These fabric developments, born from conversations and connections made at the Prato Textile Summit, follow the pioneering work of partners including Carvico, whose Vita Life fabrics — powered by renewable LYCRA® fiber — set an early benchmark for how this innovation could be translated into commercial reality. With its strong commitment to promoting sustainability in the textile value chain, Milano Unica is a perfect showcase for these fabric designs.
VISIT OUR EUROPEAN FABRIC MILL PARTNERS AT MILANO UNICA
Woven fabrics for ready-to-wear
Hall 7, Stand J14-J16
Knitted fabrics for sportswear and ready-to-wear
Hall 5, Stand C18, C20, C22
Knitted fabrics for sportswear and ready-to-wear
Hall 7, Stand C25
Knitted fabrics for ready-to-wear
Hall 7, Stand A20
WHAT IS RENEWABLE LYCRA® FIBER?
It's the LYCRA® fiber stretch brands, mills, and consumers love — made with more sustainable ingredients. Crafted from 70% renewable content derived from field corn grown in the US Midwest, this fiber has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 45%*. It's a drop-in solution, too, so mills can easily swap out their current spandex for renewable LYCRA® fiber.
*Comparative Life Cycle Assessment: LYCRA® fiber with Bio-derived PTMEG vs. LYCRA® fiber with Fossil-Derived PTMEG, Ramboll, 2026
RECYCLED & RENEWABLE FIBERS FROM THE LYCRA COMPANY
The LYCRA Company offers a full range of recycled and renewable fibers to enhance garments of all kinds. Across our family of brands — including LYCRA®, COOLMAX®, and THERMOLITE® brands — we offer sustainable solutions that stretch and recover, wick moisture, hide sweat marks, deliver comfortable thermoregulation, and more.
In addition to renewable LYCRA® fiber, mills and brands can innovate with our other third-party certified offerings. There's LYCRA® T400® EcoMade fiber, made with recycled and renewable inputs and engineered for permanent stretch, recovery, and cooling; our broad range of lightweight warming solutions from THERMOLITE® brand; and many moisture-wicking, high-performance fibers from COOLMAX® brand. As product traceability and sustainability become increasingly important to consumers, these third-party certifications can support sell-through and increase consumer trust.
Whatever your ambition, The LYCRA Company offers a sustainable fiber solution to support it. Contact our team today to collaborate — we're all in.