Products available from AW2024–2025 for a long-term partnership

YAMAGATA, Japan, June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferney Spinning Mills, a global spinning mill based in Mauritius, together with sister knitwear company Floreal Knitwear Ltd., based in Mauritius and Madagascar, have launched "Otenya", a new yarn collection made from Spiber's Brewed Protein fibers. Ferney Spinning Mills and Floreal Knitwear Ltd. are both owned by CIEL Textile, and are known for supplying premium woolen yarns and products to esteemed international brands. This launch marks an important milestone as Ferney Spinning Mills becomes the first international spinning mill to introduce yarn collections incorporating Brewed Protein fibers.

Inspired by the Spanish word for "protein," the name "Otenya" perfectly represents Spiber's Brewed Protein fibers, a new class of lab-grown, plant-based, circular protein materials manufactured through a proprietary fermentation process utilizing plant-derived sugars as a primary raw feedstock for microbes. 

"Our development work on both spinning and knitting yarns with Brewed Protein fibers is only just beginning, but we already consider Otenya products to be particularly innovative and promising as a sustainable alternative to cashmere, ultrafine, and superfine micron merino fibers for use in woolen spun yarns. We are working together with our partner Spiber to develop a 100% Brewed Protein yarn to assess this new material's look, handfeel, and performance compared to cashmere." −Max Li Ying, Design & Product Executive of FLOREAL

The inaugural Otenya collections feature a harmonious blend of RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certified ultrafine merino wool and Brewed Protein fibers, showcasing the synergy between Spiber and Ferney Spinning Mills. The series will be unveiled at Ferney Spinning Mills' booth (G12) during the prestigious Pitti Filati event in Florence, Italy, from June 28 to 30. Starting from AW2024–2025, customers will be able to purchase these exceptional yarns.

Together, the two companies remain committed to expanding their collaborative efforts and developing a diverse array of future products.

Otenya sample product developed by Ferney Spinning Mills and Floreal. Photo courtesy of VOX

Product line

OTENYA50
50% Ultrafine merino (RWS certified)
50% Brewed Protein™ fiber
Nm: 1/18, 2/18, and 2/26

OTENYA30
70% Ultrafine merino (RWS certified)
30% Brewed Protein™ fiber
Nm: 1/18, 2/18, and 2/26

Brewed Protein™ fibers
Brewed Protein fibers are lab-grown, plant-derived, circular materials made through a proprietary microbial fermentation process. The fibers are a compelling solution to the growing demands of animal and petrochemical-free fibers to address numerous pressing environmental issues and risks. The potential environmental impact of a forward-looking Brewed Protein fiber production plan was found to be significantly smaller than cashmere and merino wool, largely due to the lower environmental impacts of inputs for Brewed Protein polymer production (primarily plant crops and renewable electricity) when compared to livestock farming for cashmere and wool production. Production scale has been growing and Brewed Protein fibers, yarns, and fabrics are now available for purchase at commercial scale.

Spiber's Sustainability webpage: https://spiber.inc/en/sustainability/

Spiber Inc.
Established in September 2007, Spiber Inc. is a Japanese biotechnology startup utilizing cutting-edge synthetic biology, polymer science, and material science for the development of its novel Brewed Protein materials made from plant-based sugars utilizing microbial fermentation technology. 

Spiber website: https://spiber.inc/en/

Spiber is a trademark or a registered trademark of Spiber Inc. in Japan and other countries.
Brewed Protein™ is a trademark or a registered trademark of Spiber Inc. in Japan and other countries.

CIEL Textile
More than just a supplier, CIEL Textile positions itself as a true partner in the world of fashion. With the mission to "improve fashion everyday", the group offers a wide variety of products, services and innovative solutions to its clients around the world. Each year, 34M pcs of garments are created with passion by the 18,000 talents of CIEL Textile through its 18 production units across Mauritius, Madagascar, India and Bangladesh.

CIEL Textile website: https://cieltextile.com/

Source: Spiber Inc.