In New York, outdoor clothing brand North Face has put a protoype parka on display that was made from Qmonos, a recombinant spider silk protein produced by Spider. First displayed in Japan, the “Moon Parka” is the first commercial apparel to be produced using Spiber’s fiber.
Spider says the silk combines a number of inherent properties, such as high tensile strength and elasticity, with biomaterial control and technological flexibility stemming from recombinant production.
The fibers used to make the coat are undyed but have a natural luminescent sheen because of the golden orb-weaver’s silk, which Spider calls moon gold.
Daniel Mayer, marketing executive for Spider, says a commercial release date for the Moon Parka has not been set, but that it could become commercially available as early as next year. The protoype will be on display at North Face’s flagship New York City store for a limited time.