• Brandweek, Tuesday, August 19, 2008 10:30 AM

Dow XLA, a competitor to Spandex, first appeared on the market five years ago but has received little consumer marketing until now. Brooks Brothers, Citizens of Humanity, GoldSign and other fashion brands are partnering with Dow Fiber Solutions, a unit of Dow Chemical, to unveil new advertising at next week's Project and Magic fashion industry shows.

Compared to other stretch fibers, Dow XLA offers a "softer hand and a less compressed feel and restrictive fit," says Holiday Watson, a rep at Dow Fiber Solutions.

Print ads touting the fiber's stretch performance and durability benefits will debut this fall in Women's Wear Daily and DNR. On the consumer side, print advertising running in 2009 will play up the fiber's co-branding aspect. Tagline: "Redesign the rules." An ad for swimwear reads "Rule #4-Swimwear should never inhibit your style." The common thread through the ads is that one should continue to challenge the norm. Online supports.

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