Presented on September 25–26, 2026, at Kering Italy’s headquarters in Milan, S|STYLE 2026 brought together ten international designers to reinterpret the contemporary wardrobe through clothing, bags, footwear and accessories, with a focus on innovative non-leather materials. 

In collaboration with Kering MIL, participating designers were invited to explore next-generation materials and incorporate them into their individual creative visions.

Brewed Protein™ in Two Designers’ Creations

Srushti Patil

Designer Srushti Patil used sliver made from 100% Brewed Protein™ staple fibers, alongside silk fabrics by Taroni, to develop her look for the program, exploring the material’s potential through her interpretation of contemporary fashion.

Quine Li

Designer Quine Li also incorporated a fabric developed by Bower Roebuck, in which Brewed Protein™ fiber is blended with wool sourced from regenerative practices aligned with Kering Standards for Sustainable Production.

Together, these creations highlight the versatility of Brewed Protein™ fiber and the different ways it can be interpreted through fashion and textile design.

Exploring New Creative Possibilities with Brewed Protein™

Through its participation in S|STYLE 2026, Spiber is pleased to support the creative exploration of next-generation materials and their potential to inspire new expressions of fashion, craftsmanship and design.

We would like to thank Kering’s Material Innovation Lab, S|STYLE, Srushti Patil and Quine Li for including Brewed Protein™ fiber in this year’s program.

Press release: here

The items are made from a blend of 25% Brewed Protein™ fiber and 75% RWS-certified wool.
The distinctive properties of fiber derived from Brewed Protein™, which is made through microbial fermentation of plant-derived sugars, help create a soft, delicate feel and refined texture.

We are delighted to have had the opportunity to bring new possibilities for Brewed Protein™ fiber to life through our collaboration with Stella McCartney.

Spiber will continue to explore possibilities beyond conventional materials through innovation, creating new approaches to fashion and the way it is made.

Available at: Stella McCartney stores, the official online store, and selected retailers 

Spiber’s biomanufacturing platform, from gene sequence design to commercial fermenters of over 100 kL, is now offered as a contract service for strain development and fermentation manufacturing. First presented at BioJapan 2026, Yokohama, October 7–9.

TSURUOKA, Japan, October 2, 2026 – Spiber Inc., the biotechnology company behind Brewed Protein™ materials, today launched SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY, a contract development and manufacturing service that opens its strain engineering and fermentation capabilities to customers. Spiber built those capabilities over nearly two decades to become the first to produce a structural protein material at commercial scale. SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY now offers the hardest part of that journey, scale-up itself, as a service. It debuts at BioJapan 2026 in Yokohama, October 7–9.

SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY offers high-yield strain development services for customers’ target proteins, and provides process development and contract manufacturing at every scale, from 1-liter fermenters to commercial facilities of over 100 kL. Target products include research reagents, industrial enzymes, diagnostic raw materials and food ingredients, as well as other proteins and fermentation products.

The services are for companies facing three familiar problems: yields that will not improve, projects stalled at scale-up, and no contract manufacturer able to take a genetically modified microorganism from the lab to commercial volumes.

Scale-up and manufacturing are also a capacity problem: contract fermentation capacity at pilot and commercial scale remains scarce worldwide. Experience is scarcer still. Few providers have ever taken a recombinant protein of their own from laboratory yields to routine commercial production. Spiber has, with Brewed Protein.

Since its founding, Spiber has pursued circular manufacturing that draws on the power of living organisms. Brewed Protein, Spiber’s first fermentation product, is a structural protein used not as an ingredient but as a material, spun into fibers for textile applications. Because no such material had been made at scale before, bringing it to commercial production meant building the entire chain in-house, from gene sequence design and strain construction to fermentation and purification at production scale. With optimized gene sequences and culture conditions, Spiber’s own production strains now reach titers of 50 g/L in its commercial facilities.  50 g/L is a production figure, not a best-case result from a test tube. 

Spiber’s most valuable asset is not a single material but the platform that made it: the strain engineering, fermentation and purification capabilities, and the commercial plant, all built for Brewed Protein. SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY opens that platform to customers as a new service, alongside Spiber’s materials business, extending the value the platform delivers to a far wider range of industries.

Two services
1. High-yield strain development.
Spiber optimizes the gene sequence for the customer’s target protein, introduces it into its proprietary microbial host strains and evaluates expression in culture.
In case studies, Spiber designed five sequences for each target protein and tested them against a control: the same gene as optimized and supplied by a commercial gene synthesis provider. For human FGF-2, all five Spiber sequences outperformed the control, delivering 5.9 to 9.4 times its yield. For human interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), the five delivered 1.1 to 2.6 times the yield of the control.
In broader internal benchmarking, Spiber-optimized sequences outperformed the benchmark for over 90 percent of target proteins tested, with improvements averaging four-fold and reaching forty-fold. The benchmark in these studies was each protein’s original sequence before optimization.
2. Process development and contract manufacturing. For customers who already have a production strain, Spiber develops the fermentation and purification process and manufactures under contract at whichever scale is needed: from 1 L bench fermenters to 2,000 L vessels at its R&D site in Tsuruoka, or commercial fermenters of over 100 kL at its plant in Rayong. Each stage can be commissioned on its own, from a single lab-scale evaluation to full production runs. The service covers proteins, other fermentation products and microbial biomass, for applications such as research reagents, industrial enzymes, diagnostic raw materials and food ingredients.

Message from Maya Kawana, CEO
“Spiber has achieved commercial-scale production of Brewed Protein™ materials, now adopted by more than 40 brands in over 200 products. Both figures continue to grow each year.

“Developing diverse structural proteins has enabled us to build the technology, expertise, and facilities needed to scale fermentation from the lab to commercial production. Through SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY, we are making these capabilities available to other companies to shorten their time to market. Faster commercialization reduces the burden of ongoing costs and improves a business’s chances of success.

“Our work with strategic partners already extends beyond apparel textiles. This service may also create new opportunities for collaboration across industries.

“By helping more companies bring their technologies to market, we aim to accelerate progress toward a world where we no longer compete for finite resources.”

BioJapan 2026
Spiber will present SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY at BioJapan 2026, Pacifico Yokohama, October 7–9, at booth A-05 (Tsuruoka Science Park joint booth). Researchers from the strain development and fermentation teams will be at the booth to discuss specific projects.

How to engage
An initial discussion requires no sequence information; technical details are exchanged once a non-disclosure agreement is in place. From the first consultation, the researchers who develop the strain and the production process take part directly, and the same team stays with a project through delivery. Indicative pricing and lead times are published in the service overview.

Service webpage: https://spiber.inc/en/biofoundry 

Service overview and pricing (PDF): https://spiber.inc/en/biofoundry/SPIBER_BIOFOUNDRY_flyer_en.pdf

Inquiries: Kenji Higashi, SPIBER BIOFOUNDRY, Spiber Inc., biopartnerships@spiber.inc

About Spiber Inc.
Spiber Inc. was founded in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan, in 2007. The company develops Brewed Protein™ materials, structural proteins produced by microbial fermentation from plant-derived sugars, for apparel and other industries, in pursuit of circular manufacturing that draws on the power of living organisms. Spiber operates an R&D site in Tsuruoka and a commercial production plant in Rayong, Thailand, and carries out gene sequence design, strain construction, fermentation, purification and commercial-scale production in-house. https://spiber.inc

Company profile

Name: Spiber Inc.

Head office: 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan

Representative: Maya Kawana, CEO

Established: September 2007

Following last year’s initial release, Untouched World has carried over three core styles from the previous season—the Fountain Sweater, Maelyn Tee, and Arlee Singlet. Each piece is crafted from a blended fabric of 90% organic cotton and 10% Brewed Protein™ fiber, combining the familiar comfort of cotton with the soft, gentle hand feel of Spiber’s next-generation protein material.

Arlee Singlet – A soft, close-fitting singlet with a high round neck and hip-length hem, designed as an easy summer layer.

Fountain Sweater – A statement striped crew-neck sweater combining timeless design with the extraordinary softness of a 90% organic cotton and 10% Brewed Protein™ blend.

Maelyn Tee – A perfectly proportioned T-shirt with a classic crew neckline and elbow-length sleeves, balancing relaxed comfort with refined, versatile style.

Carrying these favorite designs forward into a second season builds on the collaboration between Untouched World and Spiber  , and continues the exploration of Brewed Protein™ fiber in everyday wardrobe staples.

To explore the collection and learn more about the collaboration, visit Untouched World’s Brewed Protein™ page.

me ISSEY MIYAKE, a brand by ISSEY MIYAKE INC., has released a new bag, “PROTEIN COTTON KONBU,” featuring Spiber’s Brewed Protein™ fiber. The bag was released on September 1, 2026.

“PROTEIN COTTON KONBU” is a seamless knitted bag made from a blend of Brewed Protein™ fiber, cotton, and nylon, and finished through garment dyeing. Despite its lightweight construction, the bag features a distinctive texture that combines a kelp-like firmness with a gentle softness. It is available in two sizes, large and small, and comes in three colors: ivory, charcoal, and pumpkin.

Through “PROTEIN COTTON KONBU,” Brewed Protein™ fiber has been developed into a product with a new expression through me ISSEY MIYAKE’s unique knitting techniques and garment-dyeing process, further expanding the possibilities of the material.

Spiber is honored to collaborate with me ISSEY MIYAKE in exploring how Brewed Protein™ fiber can complement the brand’s free approach to making. Through partnerships like this, Spiber will continue to explore the possibilities of materials through creative dialogue.

Brewed Protein™ is Spiber’s signature innovative material, brought to life through years of dedicated, passion-driven research. As Spiber prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2027, this launch marks the beautiful culmination of two decades of development. It proudly demonstrates that Brewed Protein™ has entered an exciting new era—stepping into the spotlight as a fully mature, standalone textile category.

At our exhibition booths, we will showcase a diverse array of fabrics and finished products made from 100% Brewed Protein™, highlighting their unique aesthetic qualities and inspiring creative applications.

Moving forward, Spiber is dedicated to expanding the horizons of Brewed Protein™ production and adoption. By working hand-in-hand with forward-thinking partners in Japan and across the globe, we aim to pioneer a completely new chapter in materials and bring meaningful, sustainable value to the global fashion community.

Milano Unica

・Date: July 7th – 9th, 2026
・Venue: Rho Fiera Milano
・Booth Sector：The Japan Observatory (Hall 1)
・Booth Number: Stand JOB A06

Event details can be found here.

Pitti Immagine Filati

・Date: June 24th – 26th, 2026
・Venue: Firenze Fortezza da Basso
・Booth Sector：CustomEasy
・Booth Number: Piano Inferiore, Stand K/18

Event details can be found here.

The press release is available here.

Spiber and Stella McCartney have spent more than four years developing materials together and exploring new possibilities for creating the ideal expression for the collection. Stella McCartney has long challenged the conventional notion that luxury must depend on animal-derived materials. This collaboration goes beyond simply introducing a new material; it represents an effort to expand the very definition of luxury.

Much of the fashion industry’s environmental impact originates from raw materials. To fundamentally reduce this impact, it is necessary to rethink not only how products are designed, but also how the materials themselves are produced. Spiber’s Brewed Protein™ fiber makes it possible to produce protein-based materials through fermentation rather than livestock farming. Moving from ranching to precision fermentation represents a structural transformation in the way materials are produced.

The collection features exceptionally fine Brewed Protein™ fibers with a fiber diameter of 12–14 microns, contributing to their distinctive texture and smooth, refined hand feel.

Items featuring Brewed Protein™ fiber are scheduled to launch as part of the Stella McCartney Winter 2026 collection. The official launch date will be announced at a later time.

Going forward, Spiber will continue to work alongside Stella McCartney as a partner in advancing new possibilities for fashion through next-generation materials, pursuing a balance between creativity and more responsible manufacturing.

The collection features a yarn that combines Brewed Protein™ fiber—known for its fine, smooth surface—with cotton. The distinctive texture of the protein-based fiber is complemented by the gentle touch of cotton, creating a soft, enveloping feel and everyday comfort.

To honor the material’s natural character, the yarn is intentionally left undyed. This approach preserves its inherent color and texture, allowing JUUKIFF’s design philosophy, “A Structured Intimacy”—a balance between structure and softness—to be expressed through this collection.

We are truly honored that our circular approach and long-term commitment to responsible material development have resonated with JUUKIFF, leading to the continued adoption of our materials in the Spring/Summer 2026 collection, following Spring/Summer 2025.

Product Details

STRING HOLTER TOP IN PROTEIN MIXED COTTON

Color: Ivory
Composition: 90% Cotton, 10% Brewed Protein™ fiber
Price: ¥28,600 (tax incl.)

SIDE SLIT SKORT IN PROTEIN MIXED COTTON

Color: Ivory
Composition: 90% Cotton, 10% Brewed Protein™ fiber
Price: ¥33,000 (tax incl.)

Availability

Korea: JUUKIFF official online store 
Japan: Available at selected retailers including Jurk (Tokyo) and Kiow (Hiroshima)

Exact launch date to be announced via Instagram.
Learn more here.

The latest release introduces a bolero and a long dress. Undyed Brewed Protein™ fiber is woven into the weft, allowing the material’s natural color to remain visible. By leveraging the differential shrinkage between fibers, the fabric develops a distinctive three-dimensional pleated texture.

Through this approach, the inherent characteristics of protein-based fibers are carefully brought to the forefront, presenting new possibilities for material-driven expression.

We are honored that our material has been adopted through A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE’s unique perspective and creative vision. Spiber will continue working with partners to expand the potential of materials and explore new expressions for the future of clothing.

As part of its JAPAN COLLECTION, THE NORTH FACE—an outdoor brand operated by Goldwin in Japan—has unveiled a collection that reinterprets the traditional Japanese craft of sashiko through a contemporary lens, combining Japanese craftsmanship with advanced outdoor technologies. Within this collection, the Nuptse Hanten Jacket and the Nuptse Sashiko Hanten Jacket incorporate Brewed Protein™ fiber, developed by Spiber.

The collection presents products that bring together sashiko, a symbol of Japanese handcraft, and the structural concept of the short winter hanten coat, while integrating the functional performance required of outdoor apparel alongside emerging material technologies.

Among these offerings, we are honored that our material has been adopted in two reinterpreted versions of the iconic Nuptse jacket—first introduced in 1992 as a mountaineering jacket and now widely embraced as an everyday garment—as well as in the highly popular Nuptse Bootie.

Goldwin and THE NORTH FACE’s continued commitment to creating new value at the intersection of tradition and innovation offers meaningful inspiration for us. Spiber will continue working closely with partners to expand the possibilities of materials and contribute to the evolution of future-oriented manufacturing.

Spiber will participate in Pitti Immagine Filati and Milano Unica in Italy, where we will showcase our Brewed Protein™ fibers along with the latest developments in yarns and fabrics.

Milano Unica

・Date: January 20-22, 2026
・Venue: Rho Fiera Milano
・Booth Sector: The Japan Observatory (Hall 12)
・Booth Number: Stand JOB D02

Event details can be found here.

Pitti Immagine Filati

・Date: January 21-23, 2026
・Venue: Firenze Fortezza da Basso
・Booth Sector: CustomEasy
・Booth Number: Stand Q/8

Event details can be found here.

The fleece jacket combines a fur material made from a blend of Brewed Protein™ fiber and silk with a boa fleece fabric based on the bio-derived material PlaX. In addition, the use of pattern-optimization techniques in the production process contributes to reducing fabric waste, resulting in an innovative piece that reflects the designers’ forward-looking approach.

The material and structural design perspectives explored by J.L-A.L and Goldwin open up new possibilities for apparel development, and we are truly pleased that our material could once again be incorporated into a part of their collection this year. The collaboration continues to serve as a meaningful source of inspiration for us.

Available now on the J.L-A.L official site:
j-la-l.com/collections/goldwin_x_j-l-a-l_

IN HOUSE, known for its dedication to innovative and sustainable design, has become the first U.S.-born brand to adopt Brewed Protein™ fiber. This collaboration marks an important milestone in Spiber’s efforts to expand its materials into the U.S. fashion market.

Launched in September 2025, the collection consists of six tailored pieces—the Zip-Up Blazer, Button-Up Blazer, Work Skirt, Work Pant, Skirt Pant and Double Skirt—with only the black color versions crafted from a wool blend fabric that incorporates Brewed Protein™ fiber.

Each item is available through a made-to-order system and is currently sold exclusively within the United States.

Learn more here.