Hyosung Moves Bio-Based Spandex Closer to Commercial-Scale Adoption

Hyosung TNC is preparing to demonstrate how bio-based spandex can move beyond experimental collections and into commercially viable intimate apparel.

At Interfilière Los Angeles, scheduled for July 21–23, 2026, the textile manufacturer will highlight the expansion of its sugarcane-derived regen BIO Spandex platform. The presentation will focus on integrated production, manufacturing partnerships and the material’s ability to deliver the stretch and recovery expected from conventional elastane.

The development is significant for lingerie and loungewear brands. Natural and cellulosic fibers may provide softness and a lower-impact material story, but most close-fitting garments still require elastane to maintain comfort, fit and shape.

Hyosung is positioning regen BIO Spandex as a practical way to introduce renewable feedstocks into that essential stretch component without requiring brands and mills to completely redesign their products.

Why stretch remains a challenge for natural-fiber apparel

Cotton, lyocell and other cellulose-based fibers are increasingly used in underwear, sleepwear and loungewear. On their own, however, these materials do not normally provide the sustained elasticity required for body-hugging garments.

Conventional spandex solves this problem effectively, but its principal chemical building blocks have traditionally come from fossil resources. Replacing or reducing those inputs while preserving performance has therefore become an important technical objective for the textile industry.

Bio-based spandex does not mean that a garment is entirely natural, biodegradable or plastic-free. Instead, part of the conventional fossil-derived feedstock is replaced with material obtained from renewable biological sources.

That distinction is essential for credible sustainability communication. Brands should describe the renewable content precisely and avoid implying environmental benefits that have not been demonstrated through product-specific evidence.

From sugarcane to finished stretch fiber

Hyosung’s latest production model begins with sugar derived from sugarcane. Through fermentation and subsequent processing, it is converted into bio-based butanediol, commonly known as bio-BDO.

BDO is a major upstream ingredient in the manufacture of polytetramethylene ether glycol, or PTMG, which is then used to produce spandex.

Hyosung says its manufacturing chain in Vietnam will cover the progression from bio-BDO to Bio-PTMG and ultimately to finished regen BIO Spandex. Bringing these stages into an integrated system is intended to support higher production volumes, more consistent quality and better supply-chain coordination.

The company identifies its sugarcane feedstock as being verified through the VIVE Sustainable Supply Program. This verification concerns the sourcing program and should not automatically be interpreted as certification of every environmental claim associated with a finished garment.

Hyosung’s official product information also describes bio-BDO as a drop-in component. In manufacturing terminology, this means it can replace its conventional equivalent without fundamentally altering the material’s function or established production process.  bio-based spandex

Performance designed to match conventional spandex

For intimate-apparel manufacturers, renewable feedstock alone is not sufficient. The fiber must withstand repeated stretching, washing, heat setting, dyeing and long-term use.

Hyosung states that regen BIO Spandex is designed to deliver the same fundamental performance characteristics as its conventional counterpart, including elongation, recovery and durability over time.

This performance equivalence could make adoption less disruptive for mills. If confirmed through application-specific testing, manufacturers may be able to incorporate the fiber into familiar fabric constructions instead of developing completely new processing systems.

Nevertheless, performance should still be validated for each fabric and garment. Dyeing conditions, heat exposure, fiber combinations and finishing treatments can all affect the behavior of the finished textile.

Pacific Textiles collaboration brings the concept closer to retail

Commercialization depends on more than the availability of a new fiber. Mills must determine how it behaves during knitting, dyeing, finishing and garment production.

At Interfilière Los Angeles, Hyosung will exhibit with Pacific Textiles, a manufacturing partner that has worked on fabrics combining regen BIO Spandex with Lenzing’s TENCEL fibers.

The resulting material combinations are intended to show how renewable-content stretch can complement cellulose-based fibers in garments such as underwear, bras, loungewear and other close-to-skin products.

This type of collaboration is central to scaling textile innovation. Fiber producers develop the raw material, but mills translate its technical properties into stable fabrics that brands can evaluate, source and introduce into collections.

By displaying finished fabrics and garments rather than presenting the fiber in isolation, the companies aim to give designers and sourcing teams a clearer view of its commercial possibilities.

Industry panel to examine the path from innovation to retail

Hyosung is also scheduled to host a panel discussion on July 21 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. during the Los Angeles event.

The session, titled “From Innovation to Adoption: Scaling Next-Gen Bio-Based Materials from Innovation to Retail Reality,” will bring together representatives from Hyosung, Pacific Textiles and apparel brand Natra.

Speakers are expected to discuss the practical work required to move a new material from fiber development to fabric production and finally to a shelf-ready garment.

The planned panel includes Laura Nilo, Hyosung’s US West Coast marketing manager for textiles; Robert Masanari Murakami, general manager of Pacific Textiles’ research and development division; and Natra founder Zoe Abel.

Their participation reflects three interconnected parts of the commercialization process: fiber technology, industrial textile manufacturing and brand-level product development.

Cooling and comfort technologies will also be displayed

Alongside regen BIO Spandex, Hyosung and Pacific Textiles will present several functional fibers for intimate apparel.

The planned display includes CREORA Coolwave and Aqua-X nylon for cooling and moisture management, CREORA EasyFlex Spandex for softer everyday stretch, and CREORA Rexy 2 nylon for a brighter, more luminous appearance.

These technologies address a broader shift in the intimate-apparel market. Consumers increasingly expect underwear and loungewear to provide temperature management, softness and sustained comfort in addition to visual appeal.

Hyosung and Pacific Textiles are scheduled to present the materials at booth E02 during the show.

What the scale-up means for apparel brands

The most important aspect of Hyosung’s announcement is not simply the introduction of another bio-attributed fiber. It is the effort to establish the infrastructure and manufacturing relationships needed to produce it at commercially relevant volumes.

For brands, a successful scale-up could offer several advantages:

A renewable feedstock can be introduced into the stretch portion of a fabric while retaining familiar performance characteristics.

Integrated manufacturing may provide greater visibility over the material’s upstream production and reduce the number of handoffs within the supply chain.

Collaboration with an experienced mill gives brands access to developed fabrics rather than requiring them to begin with an untested fiber.

The material may also complement TENCEL and other cellulose-based fibers already used in lower-impact intimate-apparel collections.

The remaining questions will concern price, available capacity, verified renewable content, product-level environmental data and performance across different garment constructions.

A practical transition rather than a complete material solution

regen BIO Spandex should be viewed as an incremental material transition, not as a fully natural replacement for elastane.

Its main value proposition is the substitution of renewable inputs for part of a high-performance material that remains difficult to eliminate from fitted apparel. It may therefore help brands reduce dependence on conventional fossil feedstocks while maintaining the stretch consumers expect.

Clear documentation will be critical as commercial use expands. Brands adopting the fiber should request technical data, chain-of-custody information, renewable-content calculations and life-cycle evidence relevant to the exact product being sold.

Hyosung’s presentation in Los Angeles will offer the industry an opportunity to assess whether sugarcane-derived spandex is ready to progress from innovation showcases into repeatable, large-volume apparel programs.

The decisive test will be whether the technology can combine verified sourcing, stable production, competitive economics and lasting garment performance at scale.

Hyosung TNC Expands Sustainable Materials Strategy With Vietnam Bio-BDO Plant

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