The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative fibre and technology solutions for the textile and apparel industry, has announced that it will join a panel discussion at the inaugural United Nations (UN) Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network annual meeting taking place at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on June 2.
With its recent commercialisation of COOLMAX and THERMOLITE fibres made from 100 per cent textile waste, The LYCRA Company is uniquely positioned to participate in the discussion titled Responsible Consumption and Production: Designing for Our Times. Jean Hegedus, sustainability director, The LYCRA Company, will share her perspective on how the company is scaling recycling solutions to help address the challenge of textile waste, the company said in a press release.
The meeting will welcome United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network advisory committee members and registered partnerships by industry stakeholders, media, governments and United Nations system entities to highlight actions, solutions, and progress from the fashion and lifestyle sectors to advance sector engagement in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations member states in 2015. Discussions will focus on confronting the climate crisis, achieving gender equality throughout the value chain, and ensuring a resilient post-pandemic recovery.
“The LYCRA Company recognises that the journey towards a more sustainable future is a collective effort across the industry,” said Kerry Bannigan, Executive Director, Fashion Impact Fund. “We are thrilled to have them join our first annual meeting to discuss solutions that will accelerate the fashion and lifestyle sector’s implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
As the apparel industry looks to rapidly develop solutions for a circular economy, The LYCRA Company is focused on a variety of fibre and fabric innovations that reduce or divert waste, keeping materials in use and out of landfills. The company’s EcoMade family of recycled offerings includes LYCRA, COOLMAX and THERMOLITE fibres made from both pre- and post-consumer waste. The LYCRA Company has invited the industry to keep in the Loop with LYCRA to learn about its latest sustainable innovations and circularity advancements, while also promoting collaboration.
The United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network’s inaugural annual meeting is co-convened by the United Nations Office for partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund.
Hegedus has over 35 years of experience in the textile industry, working first with The DuPont Company, and then INVISTA, before moving to The LYCRA Company in 2019. Over the course of her career, she has held a variety of positions in public affairs, marketing, licensing and branding. She began working in the denim segment in 2007, bringing several important innovations to market, including LYCRA XFIT, LYCRA dualFX, LYCRA BEAUTY, and LYCRA EcoMade technologies. It was also her work within the denim segment that heightened her awareness of the need for more sustainable solutions, and in July of 2019, she was appointed sustainability director for The LYCRA Company. Hegedus has a master’s degree in communications from the University of Delaware.
