Woolrich and Goldwin sign first fully bio-based parka

The new frontier of textile innovation, for fashion, is bio-based fibers. From brands that are collaborating with companies that specialize in creating entirely sustainable fabrics, to brands that are developing vegetable leather and fungus-based fabrics, the future of sustainability in fashion is passing through the alternative to plastic and leather derivatives. One of the leading companies in the field is Japan's Spiber Inc. which has patented the Brewed Protein™ fiber created by a microbial fermentation process that uses plant-derived sugars as raw material, eliminating the problem of microplastics but also the carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale textile fiber production. This very innovative fiber was used by Woolrich and Goldwin to sign the new Woolrich Arctic Parka - one of the American brand's great classics, the design of which was originally conceived in 1972 for workers on the Alaskan Pipeline.

The new parka developed together with Spiber Inc. is part of the American brand's FW23 collection and represents an original way of updating a Woolrich classic (which, let's remember, has been in business since 1830) through materials research - actually adapting a historic and timeless design to the needs of a new era. Hopefully, this parka in Brewed Protein™, the second outerwear product composed of this material after the jacket unveiled by Goldwin in the fall of 2015 at the start of its partnership with Spiber Inc. will lead the way for a greater uptake of these sustainable fibers that may perhaps one day replace synthetics entirely.