The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #015

Spiber Inc. continues its groundbreaking journey in 2024, announcing high-end fashion partnerships with prestigious Italian mills creating sustainable fabrics with future availability.

Spiber continue 2024 success

After the announcement of new partners including Kering’s Material Innovation Lab (MIL), and EILEEN FISHER to the Biosphere Circulation Project’, closing their latest round of funding with over £50 million and their materials showcased in the doublet Spring/Summer 2025 collection in Paris, Spiber is continuing to take this year by storm. 

The latest instalment of Spiber success has come in the form of partnerships with high-end Italian mills Marzotto, RD Gruppo Florence, and Filatura Papi Fabio. These strategic partnerships are the embodiment of luxury material innovation. With each partnership Spiber have explored the unique blending of their Brewed Protein fiber with the fibres from the respective mills and the resulting products are expected to be available from August/Winter 2024.

Marzotto and Spiber announce two years of partnership

Spiber collaborated with two high-quality mills specialising in worsted wool, one of which is Marzotto Wool Manufacturing S.r.l. This project has been almost two years in the making resulting in a 30/70 mixture of Brewed Protein fiber/ Wool. Giorgio Todesco (CEO, Marzotto Wool Manufacturing) stated the collaboration “allowed us [Marzotto] to create a fabric that maintains its absolute biodegradability while maintaining the functionality required by the textile market, for a new beauty that is kind to nature to be touched and to be worn. A further step forward combining tradition and textile art with technological research” .

Papi Fabio celebrates the potential of new sustainable yarns

A distinguished Italian spinning mill Filatura Papi Fabio S.p.A., also specialising in woolen and worsted yarns for the luxury market, was among the partnerships announced by Spiber. This collaboration yielded two new yarns, one woollen and one worsen, each blended with Brewed Protein fiber. Papi Fabio, (CEO, Filatura Papi Fabio) said “We are really pleased about this cooperation between Spiber and our Company. We need to be pre-positive in a completely sustainable direction and offer to global luxury brands new yarns.” 

Spiber X RD Gruppo Florence prototypes unveiled at Pitti Filati

At Pitti Filati, where influential brands and designers gather, Spiber showcased prototypes from a collaborative research project with RD Gruppo Florence, the research and development arm of Gruppo Florence S.p.A., an Italian luxury goods manufacturing company. 

This project has stretched across Gruppo Florence’s group companies: Mely’s Maglieria, Antica Valserchio and Ideal Blue. Ideal Blue produced the prototypes from custom yarns that included blends of Brewed Protein fiber, wool, polyamide, and cashmere with the goal to exhibit the elevated properties Brewed Protein fiber could give the materials. Spiber announced that the fabrics and yarns used are now available for custom development and bespoke garments. 

The continuity of Spiber’s commitment to address wider sustainability challenges such as fashion waste was integrated into the designs of the production of a jacquard fabric which considered the graphic pattern placement to reduce waste. 

Will we be seeing more Luxury Textiles and Biotech collaborations?

All partnerships have expressed their optimism and enthusiasm for the continuation of joint projects. Increasing collaborations, including the recent collaborations of GANNI and Polybion, are a signal for both the biomaterials sector and the luxury fashion sector that we expect to see some more innovative materials making their way into supply chains and to luxury fashion houses. 

More details on blends: 

Marzotto X Spiber:

Twill 2/2 (Batavia) fabric 30% Brewed Protein fiber70% Wool

Filatura Papi Fabio X Spiber:

Wool-blended woolen yarn30% Brewed Protein fiber70% Wool (RWS certified, Ultrafine 17.5µm)Nm: 2/27 N/m

Wool-blended worsted yarn30% Brewed Protein fiber70% Wool (RWS certified, Ultrafine 17.5µm)Nm: 2/60 N/m

Images provided by Spiber Inc

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