Invista Goes After the Action-Sports Market
Skaters should toughen up. And get comfortable. That’s the thinking behind the latest product launch by fiber giant Invista.
The company has a long history of putting the stretch in swimwear, yoga and activewear with its Lycra fibers. To go after the skate and active-sports market, the company looked to its ultra-durable Cordura fiber and developed Cordura Denim and Cordura Duck fabrics, which combine the look and feel of denim and canvas fabrics with the abrasion resistance and tensile and tear strength of Cordura.
Invista’s T420 nylon 6.6 fiber was developed to blend with cotton and other cellulosic fibers to create Cordura Denim and Cordura Duck. According to the company, both fabrics have four times the abrasion resistance of traditional denim, and duck fabrics in comparable weights and jeans made from Cordura Denim last 50 percent to 60 percent longer when industrially laundered.
“We’ve always been in outdoor [apparel] and travel,” said Cindy McNaull, global marketing director at Invista. “We have been in military. We’re now taking the Cordura brand and broadening the scope—but we want to stay close to our core durability.” Recent innovations have come out of military applications, where Cordura’s strength and durability are key.
Earlier this year, the company added the stretch of Lycra to its Cordura fabrics to create “the softer side of durability.” There’s also a Cordura base layer knit set to launch at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City. And there are accessories and footwear opportunities for Cordura, as well. San Francisco–based accessories company Timbuk2 recently introduced its “Custom Messenger Bag,” featuring Cordura Denim.
Invista is hoping to spread the word about Cordura in the skate and action-sports markets in much the same way it has overseas and in the premium-denim market.
Last year, Invista took its Cordura Denim to Denim by Premiegrave;re Vision in Paris and showed it to brands such as Levi’s and Timberland. Earlier this year, the company showcased Cordura Denim at the Kingpins trade shows in New York and Los Angeles. (Invista is a show sponsor.)
“We’re getting a lot of traction in Europe, where the Cordura brand has strong brand equity,” McNaull said. “People are attracted to the value and the durability.”
