Julien Born, chief commercial officer at The LYCRA Company, joined a distinguished roundtable of industry leaders for the recently published Denim Legends II issue of WeAr GLOBAL Magazine and DENIM LEGENDS II.

Born, who ranked No. 13 on the publication’s list of the 100 most influential people in the denim industry, called LYCRA® dualFX® technology the most impactful denim innovation of the last 15 years. “It was the engine behind the super stretch and skinny denim revolution,” he said.

Here are additional highlights from his interview, which also touched on the design, technical and sustainability trends that will shape the denim segment in 2021 and beyond:

On The LYCRA Company’s role in driving denim innovation:

“We don’t create fashion trends, but our product innovations can open up endless design possibilities and allow entrepreneurs in this category to turn ideas into denim garments that will not only look stylish, but provide fit and comfort to consumers. I am confident to state that fiber or fabric technology will drive the next major denim revolution.”

On the shifting shopper landscape for denim:

“New channels, such as second hand or rentals, are popping up. E-commerce is exploding, and the consumer shopping journey will increasingly be a blend of online and offline. This will greatly influence product designs and functions, as, for instance, the wear life of a garment will be expected to be extended, or the fit to be more forgiving or size-inclusive to reduce the cost and inconvenience of returns. It already translates into renewed interest for some of our fabric technologies, such as LYCRA® FREEF!T® for high-quality jeans with easy stretch.”

On denim consumers’ heightened focus on transparency and sustainability:

“Consumers will always have that unique relationship with their preferred denims and won’t compromise on style or aesthetics, but they now want to know a bit more about what they are buying. Am I buying responsibly? What’s the story behind this garment or brand? Does it have functional features? The ability for brands to tell a good story will play a greater role in the future and can help stimulate the category. The number of denims that consumers have in their wardrobe can increase with styles and fabrics that are fit for purpose, whatever the occasion, the climate or the activity.”

Born is not the only leader from The LYCRA Company to be recognized by the denim market. Sustainability Director Jean Hegedus was named to the 2020 Rivet 50 list of the most influential leaders in the global denim industry in October 2020.

LYCRA® dualFX® and LYCRA® FREEF!T® are trademarks of The LYCRA Company.