Lurex is a very special kind of synthetic fiber. In practice, it is a metallic fiber, whose touch and appearance are the same as those found in many metals – from gold to aluminum. Precisely for this reason, the threads of Lurex are also known as metallic yarns.
This is one of those rare cases where the name of the company that created a product becomes synonymous with the product itself. In this case, we are talking about the Lurex company, responsible for the development of a metallic wire in 1946.
To better understand all the benefits of Lurex, it is necessary to first travel to the Middle Ages. By this time, some metals were already used to create textile pieces of extreme elegance.
Minerals such as gold or silver were some of the most used types of metals, particularly by kings and the nobler classes. The threads were of silk or cotton fiber but wrapped in gold and silver.
Although the culmination of this ancient practice can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the truth is that there are also records of its use in the great ancient empires of China, Egypt, or the Romans.
Even before the Lurex company had developed its own metallic fiber and the market adopted it, this type of work also gained prominence during the first decades of the 20th century. It was a type of yarn widely used by haute couture, including by the famous stylist Coco Chanel.
JULurex, as we know it today, is a very light and flexible type of metallic fiber, capable of giving circular knitted fabrics a unique touchofsophistication. In addition to its light weight, Lurex also corrects one of the metal's biggest disadvantages: it doesn't stain or corrode by the effects of time.
Lurex is a metallic synthetic fiber. The term is used in a generic way to describe all types of wires that simulate the properties of metals.
In other words, Lurex ends up being used to define a whole kind of fibers created from metal.
These fibers can be produced alone or together with other fibers, whether synthetic or natural. Thus, circular knitted fabrics made in Lurex can be knitted together with cotton, wool or silk fibers, or even with nylon, polyamide, polyester and rayon.
When created together with polyester fibers, Lurex reaches its strongest and most resistant state and can be stretched considerably.
Lurex allows the desired metallic effect to be maintained, imitating the most precious metals such as gold or silver and allowing its use to diversify and become less exclusive. This happens due to the most modern technical developments, which allow the protection of the materials used.
Metals are entrenched between two layers of plastic that protect them from the corrosive effects of time, lengthening their useful life.
This type of fiber can be used in a wide variety of casual pieces, including beachwear items. However, it is in the formal attire that it really shines.
Lurex is a metallic fiber wrapped in a special film that protects it. This coating is usually made of polyester or polyamide and prevents the metal used from staining or otherwise damaging the fibers with which it will interact.
Usually, the metal used is aluminum, protected by films that guard it and that can acquire the most varied colors to create the most different effects. Its production uses a lamination process, in which the metallic fibers are first inserted between the two protective layers. These two layers are usually made of polyester, polyamide, or Viscose.
Heat and pressure keep them locked together. In the end, the result is a strip that is cut lengthwise, according to the necessary measurements. Lurex is now ready to use. Protected, its fibers are easy to care for and resistant to attacks by insects and other microorganisms.
Mixing the different types of fibers and metals makes constant innovation possible wherever Lurex is used.
Lurex allows the fusion between different types of fibers and metals, more or less precious. Therefore, its use is like a continuous invitation to innovation and the creation of new types of items.
Lurex circular knitted fabrics are light and strong enough to be used for the creation of the most complex pieces.
Furthermore, because its metallic fibers are protected, they remain in excellent condition for a longer time, without interfering with the fibers with which they can be combined.
At ITJV, Lurex is available only through catalogue request and sample validation.
This text was written and published in 2021
