The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #027

As Paris Fashion Week concludes, following Milan Fashion Week, many designers have unveiled their Spring/Summer 2025 collections. Once again, leading the charge in embracing next-gen materials are familiar names like GANNI, Stella McCartney, and Patrick McDowell. These designers are incorporating innovative, sustainable materials into their collections, proving that fashion and sustainability can coexist.

GANNI’s Collection: The Craft and Fabric of the Future

The Danish brand GANNI has consistently championed next-gen materials, with their Fabric of the Future Program supporting the development and scaling of innovative textiles. Their SS25 collection, The Craft, showcased some of these partnerships. This collection featured a wide range of next-gen materials, including as Circulose, Cycora, Celium™, Pelinova, and Tex2Tex.

A standout piece in the collection was the iconic XXL iteration of GANNI’s iconic Bou bag, made from Oleatex, a material derived from olive waste. Other highlights included ballerina shoes and lace-up boots crafted from Pelinova, and five looks made with Circulose fiber. GANNI’s commitment to sustainable materials is reflected in its effort to replace traditional fabrics like polyester and leather with alternatives with a reduced impact on the planet.

Creative Director, Ditte Reffstrup summed up the collection: “This collection is about courage, empowerment, and connection, pushing our boundaries across both design and innovation. My heart beats the most for responsible fabrications, and our Fabrics of the Future program feels like magic.”

Stella McCartney: Blending Fashion with Environmental Awareness

True to her legacy of sustainable fashion, Stella McCartney presented her SS25 collection, Save What You Love, which focused on bird conservation while promoting the environmental campaign, It’s About F***ing Time. Central to the collection was the Stella Ryder bag, made from VEGEA, a material that uses grape waste. Additionally, a standout vest was made from Kelsun™, a material developed by Keel Labs with the support of the SOS Fund, co-founded by McCartney herself to promote climate solutions.

Patrick McDowell: Championing Non-Toxic Dyes

Luxury fashion designer Patrick McDowell also aligns themselves with sustainable fashion. McDowell’s SS25 collection, Portraits of a Painter, was revealed at Milan Fashion Week highlighting innovative materials and processes. Within the collection, McDowell included a graceful soft grey silk flowing coat and trousers which were coloured with Octarine Bio’s PurePalette™. This non-toxic dye replaces synthetic dyes while using less water and energy. This dye process showcases McDowell’s commitment to reducing fashion's environmental impact, focusing on earth-friendly practices from fabric to dye.

TômTex takes on New York Fashion week

The beginning of fashion SS25 was of course kicked off in New York where TômTex was the biomaterial of choice. Collina Strada created both a lizard bag and a shoulder bag inspired by the Touch Grass theme of NYFW. The bag was created with TômTex’s Series M material, a material which uses the biopolymers from mushrooms - chitosan. 

Also collaborating with TômTex was the sustainably driven brand Allina Liu. Within their SS25 collection, Liu introduced a pleated short dress made solely from TômTex’s material. The shapes in this design demonstrated the possibilities and creative approaches of how these textiles can be used. 

Luxury’s Slow Embrace of Next-Gen Materials

While these brands are pushing the boundaries with next-gen materials, other luxury brands are starting to follow suit. Although Burberry didn’t highlight new materials on the runway, they recently launched the B Shield Scarf, made from a blend of wool, cashmere, and Spiber Inc.’s Brewed Protein™, showcasing the growing integration of next-gen materials in high-end fashion.

Closing Thoughts: Innovation at the Intersection of Fashion and Sustainability

The Spring/Summer 2025 collections from GANNI, Patrick McDowell, and Stella McCartney exemplify how fashion can lead the way in sustainability. These designers are pioneering the use of materials that reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. While there is still room for more brands to fully embrace next-gen innovations, the variety of materials available is definitely enabling the, albeit slow, shift toward including conscious materials.

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