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says Peterson, who sees more websites, more presentations and more virtual marketing on the horizon. PRIMALOFT Driving Emotional Connection "For a business with a tagline, 'feel the performance,' it's been a peculiar time," confirms PrimaLoft's Tara Maurer-Mackay, senior vice president – product strategy, in reference to the absence of in-person interaction during COVID. "However, as a small company we can react quickly — which is an advantage — and our trajectory of innovation never stopped." The PrimaLoft marketing and sales staff rallied, working to develop a new suite of digital assets that brought personality and physicality to virtual presentation. Maurer-Mackay highlights creation of high-quality product renderings and raising the bar on productive and engaging video calls. "Our brand team is driving an emotional connection to our products," Maurer-Mackay explains. "Showing white on white on a table is not particularly sexy, and a lot of the technology can be complex to communicate. We've worked to distil messaging into something that resonates with brands and the end consumer alike." In October PrimaLoft launched its first big consumer-facing ad campaign, "Seek the Unseen," that focuses on the unexpected, emotional moments of everyday life that often go unnoticed, with a centerpiece video spot that educates and entertains. "We have always played in the B2B landscape. But now we're communicating directly to consumers about how PrimaLoft can help improve lives," explains Maurer-MacKay. Also this Fall, PrimaLoft introduced P.U.R.E. 2.0. P.U.R.E., which stands for "Produced Using Reduced Emissions," is a proprietary, renewable manufacturing technology that now achieves up to 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions, up from 48 percent previously. "The second iteration of P.U.R.E. was full steam ahead pre-pandemic. We've now taken the platform to a broader application and it can be scaled in manufacturing," Maurer- MacKay adds. In addition PrimaLoft recently announced a strategic alliance with Origin Materials to develop high-performance, carbon-negative insulating fibers for diverse apparel applications, including for leading outdoor, fashion, and lifestyle brands, as well as home goods applications such as hypoallergenic insulated bedding. A prototype is in the pipeline with a projected launch date of 2024-25. POLARTEC Entering the 3D Space In an effort to drive efficiency and reduce waste in fashion design, Polartec has stepped into the 3D space. A new collaboration with Browzwear, a 3D digital solutions specialist for the fashion industry, will usher in "true-to-life" 3D performance fabrics — a first for Polartec. What this means is that users will now be able to digitally design and create with Polartec's performance fabric range. The fabric library was made available in October in the VStitcher 2021.2 Edition with subsequent rollouts of new fabric technologies in future upgrades, according to the companies. Using Browzwear designers can accurately visualize the fabric's texture, drape, and movement 3D. The tools allow for a high-degree of accuracy which in turn will eliminate excessive garment sales. Other benefits include leveraging 3D renderings in the sales process, enabling data- driven manufacturing and reducing overproduction and accelerating collection development overall. The first rollout features 14 different Polartec fabrics in unique color palettes ranging from next- to-skin technologies Polartec Delta, Polartec Power Wool, and Polartec Power Grid, to insulation technologies such as Polartec 200 series fleece, Polartec Alpha, Polartec High Loft, Polartec Thermal Pro, and Polartec Power Air. Polartec NeoShell rounds out the collection with weather protection. "Browzwear not only improves the efficiency and sustainability of using Polartec fabrics, 3D platforms enable designers to realize the potential of their creativity and fuel our industry," comments Polartec's VP marketing/creative director, David Karstad. THE LYCRA COMPANY Embracing Digital "We must embrace digital transformation," says The Lycra Company's CEO Julien Born. "The launch of the LYCRA ONE portal leverages our connectivity across the apparel and personal care value chains and offers a one-stop seamless solution to rapidly move our customers' ideas from concept to launch." The new online customer portal serves as a knowledge and service center and allows brands, retailers, and garment makers to connect to a global network of mills in a convenient platform. A need for a digital experience in the marketplace was already being identified pre-COVID, according to the company. Through the LYCRA ONE portal, users can source innovative fiber solutions using the digital fabric library. Users can also take advantage of the portal to expand business relationships, learn about capabilities, and view product catalogs. LYCRA ONE also provides access to webinars, white papers, and videos covering a range of topics from new fiber technologies and industry trends to marketing. l "We've worked to distil messaging into something that resonates with brands and the end consumer alike." Tara Maurer-Mackay, senior vice president – product strategy, PrimaLoft 46 • January/February 2022 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com "We must embrace digital transformation." Julien Born, CEO, The Lycra Company "Browzwear not only improves the efficiency and sustainability of using Polartec fabrics, 3D platforms enable designers to realize the potential of their creativity and fuel our industry." David Karstad, VP marketing and creative director, Polartec DESIGN/TEXTILE SHOW AND TELL

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