Ansell trades condoms for performance apparel with SkynFeel intro

ISELIN, N.J. - Ansell is parlaying its brand recognition as one of the leading condom manufacturers with Skyn Condoms into a new out-of-the-box venture - performance apparel. The new SkynFeel is a one-of-a-kind conceptual long jump suit for elite athletes that's made of the same condom material that lets a person "feel" everything.

"The Skyn brand has innovation woven into its DNA," stated Jeyan Heper, president and general manager, Sexual Wellness Global Business Unit at Ansell. "In the world of competitive sports, athletes look for every advantage, and we knew our SkynFeel condom material was revolutionary in our own industry, therefore we turned to the world of performance athletics and decided to conduct an experiment in apparel. We wanted to allow ourselves to think differently, outside of our own condom box."

To create the one-of-a-kind concept garment, Skyn Condoms partnered with fashion designer Pauline Van Dongen, whose wearable technology creations have won wide acclaim. "Experiments like this can point the way to the future," Van Dongen said. "For me, SkynFeel Apparel is about challenging the status quo, trying something totally new, daring to innovate, imagine and inspire."

The resulting SkynFeel Apparel garment features dragonfly wing-inspired flaps located on the edge of the body, constructed from a thin layer of SkynFeel and reinforced by a geometric laser cut grid. Designed with the long jumper's technique in mind, the flaps stay flat during the run, to open up with the jump – just as the athlete twists their arms and straightens their legs. The aerodynamic design creates an upward lift that could help long jumpers stay in the air just a little bit longer.