The first items to be mass-produced with so-called Brewed Protein are hitting the market this autumn. As reported in June of this year, the Japanese biotech start-up Spiber has been working on what it calls its Biosphere Circulation Program, which ferments bio-based and biodegradable textiles and agricultural waste to yield a new material; the proprietary fiber registered under the name Brewed Protein.
A number of limited runs have preceded this. The first was The North Face’s Planetary Equilibrium Tee, in August 2019. Then Goldwin’s The Sweater in Nov. 2020, followed by a shell jacket and fleece (autumn 2022), and denim jacket and pants (this past March).
Two companies, Pangaia and Goldwin, have been developing the fiber alongside Spiber for the past eight years. Now, with Brewed Protein’s production ramping up as of last year in Thailand, five brands are ready to release products: The North Face (Nuptse Jacket), Goldwin (Cross-Field 3L Jacket), Nanamica (Balmacaan Coat), The North Face Purple Label (Sierra Parka) and Woolrich (Future Arctic Parka).
Spiber’s objective is to trade sportswear’s usual raw materials, with their oil-derived synthetic molecules (polyester, nylon, etc.) and tendency to shed microplastics, for “structural protein materials,” so as to make items recyclable at the end of their life.
