Has It. This one phrase has created a revolution in the apparel and fashion industry across the globe. The man-made elastane fibre, lycra, with it’s unique stretch and recovery properties has brought about a transformation in the way one looks today. From skinny jeans, hot mid-calf tights, funky leg warmers, stretch woollens, fitted tees, jackets and even intimate wear — lycra has dramatised fashion. 
At a recent fashion event in the City, prominent brands and designers showcased their lines to prove the benefits and innovations in lycra.
Many top-notch denim brands flaunted their range of jeans, jackets, trendy knee-length capris and mini skirts. Skinny is in and so lycra was at its best. It has undergone further innovation, specially crafted for denim. Called the XFIT LYCRA, the patented crossweave claims to allow 360 degrees movement.
Many international sports brands showcased gym wear, shoes and new collections for this season — all fibre-based creations. No more is gym wear boring and masculine. Women’s gym wear today come in bright funky colours, embossed prints and a slim-fit for a better look. The colour palette included light green, blues, greys and pinks with gold prints.
The grand finale included a peek into the latest collections by top-notch designers Jattinn Kochhar and couturier
Deepika Govind. Jattinn’s preview of his Spring-Summer 2008 collection comprised knee-length dresses, bubble styles, tunics and tights. Casual in it’s style and silhouette, the colour story included melon, lemon, washed olive to black. One saw the exhaustive use of black and white, a trademark of Jattinn.
Men’s wear saw lemon-yellow lycra T-shirts with motifs and patterns, alongside chinos and knit capris. Talking about lycra in his collection Jattinn quipped, “I have always used lycra in my garments because it stretches my imagination to the maximum.”
The Taj Mahal was the inspiration behind Deepika’s collection. Oozing feminine charm, the collection effectively used the floral motifs, themes and elements from the monument. Dresses in a variety of styles, halter-neck tops to fluid gowns in lycra, the Mughal motifs were brilliantly translated on an impressive colour palette including porcelain blue, prism violet and ivory.
Deepika said, “The Taj has been created in collaboration with an Italian designer Nello Marelli. On a visit to India, Nello was inspired by the Taj Mahal. His company manufactures a fabric called Sensitive which provides UV protection, is light-weight and has moisture-control properties. Internationally, it’s used in lingerie, swimwear and sports wear. Sensitive is one of the largest consumers of lycra in the world. The stetch and recovery factor makes it the most sensible fabric for contemporary life.”
Each era brings along a new tradition and lycra seems to be the hot new thing this millennium.