-By Elaine Wong

Dow XLA fiber is now stretching its way into Spandex's territory. Brooks Brothers, Citizens of Humanity, GoldSign and other fashion industry bigs have partnered with Dow Fiber Solutions, a unit of Dow Chemical, to unveil new advertising for a stretch technology fiber making its debut next week.

The ad campaign for Dow XLA, an olefin-based stretch fiber produced in Spain, will be unveiled at next week’s Project and Magic fashion industry shows.

Dow XLA originally appeared on the market five years ago but, until now, the fabric had received little consumer marketing. Print ads touting the fiber’s stretch performance and durability benefits will debut this fall in Women’s Wear Daily and Conde Nast’s DNR. On the consumer side, print advertising running in 2009 will play up the fiber’s co-branding aspect. Online supports. Tagline: “Redesign the rules.” Syrup, New York, handles.

Brands that currently use Dow XLA in their clothing include Paige Premium Denim, Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole. Nike and adidas also use the fiber in their competitive swimwear, as Dow XLA is chlorine-proof. Dow Fiber Solutions expects to add more brands to the list.

Compared to leading stretch fibers out there such as Spandex, Dow XLA offers a “softer hand and a less compressed feel and restrictive fit,” said Holiday Watson, a rep at Dow Fiber Solutions. When used in denim, for instance, the fiber allows the designer to experiment with cutting-edge aesthetics, oftentimes chemical, without comprising the quality of the garment.

“The campaign was really born out of asking a simple question: 'What if designers could create in a way they could never imagine before?'” Watson said. “Our product can go places no other stretch fiber can.”

Each ad features a rule. An ad for swimwear, for instance, reads “Rule #4—Swimwear should never inhibit your style.” The common thread is one should continue to challenge the norm, whether one be a fabric manufacturer, fashion designer or average consumer.

“The more we looked at all of the different benefits that Dow XLA brought to market, the more we realized it was breaking a lot of conventions in the fashion world,” said Aramique Krauthamer, associate creative director at Syrup. “We created this idea of an ongoing list of rules that can be broken on an emotional level.”