To receive the Vogue Business newsletter, sign up here.
Despite mounting enthusiasm for sustainable textile alternatives, there is much debate over the scarcity of viable biotextile solutions. Ultimately, the sourcing model requires a transformation. What is already a slow and granular process is worsened by the fragmented nature of the biomaterials industry, in a combination that sustains this industry-wide supply challenge.
Last year, Boston Consulting Group predicted that demand for low-climate-impact materials will outpace supply by up to 133 million tonnes by 2030. With increasing environmental regulation ramping up the pressure on businesses to implement more sustainable production into their supply chains, fashion brands are now part of a race to secure a stable supply of biomaterials while safeguarding their future business prospects.
Yet lack of investment and a reluctance to be “first to fail” has resulted in sparse funding for scalable biomaterial ventures. As a consequence, the global production of regenerative textiles has failed to reach critical mass.
The need for cross-industry collaboration
To hedge against the inevitable shortage of sustainable fabrics that comply with government mandates, some brands are now accelerating their investments in innovative solutions that not only boost circularity but improve access to supply. A key example of this is the “biosphere circulation” project pioneered by Japanese biotechnology firm Spiber Inc.
The company takes its name from “spider” and “fibre” and is inspired by the unique protein composition of spider silk, the strength and versatility of which Spiber initially sought to replicate through its early research and development initiatives. Since then, Spiber’s product line-up has evolved to include a range of fibres imitating diverse natural properties beyond those initially inspired by spider silk.
In particular, since 2007, Spiber has led the development of Brewed Protein™ materials, a new class of textiles underpinned by lab-grown and plant-based fibres, resins, films and other types of materials achieved through microbial fermentation (brewing). Early adopters of Spiber’s textile solutions include outerwear brands The North Face in Japan, Pangaia and Goldwin, to name a few.
Kenji Higashi, executive vice president of sustainability at Spiber, says demand from higher-end brands is increasing, too: “Demand from luxury maisons and mass market brands has become increasingly strong over the past five years, as circularity and climate have evolved into an important mainstream agenda. We foresee the widespread adoption of this material playing a significant role in accelerating the shift towards a circular economy.”
In June 2022, Spiber’s Brewed Protein™ fibre was chosen as a featured material by Fondazione Pitti Discovery and Kering's Material Innovation Lab (MIL) for the seventh edition of “S|Style Sustainable Style”, curated by journalist Giorgia Cantarini, spotlighting innovators in the space. Now, following in the footsteps of Goldwin and Pangaia, Kering — alongside Eileen Fisher, Johnstons of Elgin and dye manufacturer Dystar — is collaborating on Spiber’s groundbreaking biosphere circulation project, which aims to transform unused apparel and textiles, as well as agricultural by-products, into nutrients for microbial fermentation and the production of novel protein materials.
It’s a one-of-a-kind venture that sees brands and technologists unite to create a textile ecosystem that not only rethinks how biobased and biodegradable textiles are developed but also considers the opportunity for regenerating fibres at the end of a product’s lifecycle.
Christian Tubito, director of Kering’s MIL, views the increased uptake of biomaterials as an important stepping stone towards achieving the group’s global sustainability goals. “At Kering, our ambition is to reach our environmental targets (e.g. 100 per cent of used materials aligned to Kering standards) and to set even more ambitious ones (e.g. 40 per cent reduction of GHG emission in absolute terms by 2035),” he explains. “Our aim is to onboard all the clients of our houses in this journey and create a vision and a path for a more responsible luxury [sector].”
Crucially, Tubito sees the development of biomaterials as an opportunity to boost innovation. “We don’t see biomaterials as an alternative per se — some of these innovations are truly unique textiles with their own look, feel and properties. And from an environmental standpoint, biomaterials enable us to reduce our reliance on natural fibres or leather and therefore diminish our environmental impact.”
The fact that they support environmental targets is a welcome bonus, but it’s the new-found qualities of these fabrics that play into luxury’s main driver: design. Previous editions of the Vogue Business Index indicate a rising correlation between offering innovative and sustainable designs and the rising cult statuses of brands. Spiber can produce fibres of varying fineness, and its signature Brewed Protein™ can be spun at 100 per cent content or blended with cashmere, wool and other sought-after variations, so it will always match the quality expected from traditional luxury textiles.
Improving industry access to new knowledge
Alongside collaborating with brands and researchers, Spiber believes that creating a centralised source of knowledge is critical to advancing the adoption of sustainable textiles. To this end, an important aim of the biosphere circulation project is to synthesise the multiple data sources of the partnership. Lab-scale testing of Spiber’s prototypes, as well as other materials, will generate a wealth of technical data. This will enable Spiber to analyse how various chemicals (like finishing agents and colourants) affect the conversion of cellulose and protein materials into different nutrients, such as sugars and amino acids, and optimise them as feedstocks to produce new materials.
It’s a complex and ambitious mission that will provide insights into how the sustainability of textiles can be improved at a molecular level. From this analysis, Spiber intends to publish a database that will introduce the industry to a vital resource that advises designers and producers alike on building circularity into their respective processes.
The importance of knowledge sharing in this new and dynamic space has been propelled by Spiber’s own experiences. “We’ve learnt a tremendous amount from our brand customers about textile manufacturing, performance requirements and quality control since we started working with apparel companies almost a decade ago. When we first started, we had completely underestimated the complexity and difficulty of creating apparel products from new materials and how high the quality expectations are,” says Higashi.
It’s a resource that could also help brands communicate more effectively with their customers — a perpetual challenge for the luxury industry. With fears of greenwashing accusations and “cancel culture”, brands are often hesitant to communicate their sustainability credentials; the effect is often a lack of education about brand values or a frustrating journey for shoppers who take on the added labour of researching a label’s sustainability commitments before buying.
A win for consumers
At Kering, Tubito is conscious that younger consumers especially are applying more scrutiny to brands: “Thanks to the media and social media, customers are already much more educated and informed than 10 years ago. Younger customers are also more aware and ask more questions when they visit our stores. At Kering, all our houses have formalised guidelines or playbooks to train store associates so that they are able to tell the story of the product and mention its sustainable features.”
Some brands are ahead of the curve. Gucci has developed a full web platform called Gucci Equilibrium to inform and support all CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives and actions launched by the brand. With the backing of luxury giants like Kering and conscious brands like Eileen Fisher and Pangaia, the biosphere circulation venture is a promising development for the industry — one that should also deliver a win for consumers as brands take further strides towards designing for circularity.
Ultimately, through this expanding coalition, Spiber hopes to encourage brands to consider not only how they can select the best textile solutions but how sustainable materials can be combined in a way that allows the final product to be broken down and recycled at the end of its life. It’s the circle of fashion.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
