GOLDWIN and Spiber announced back in August that the MOON PARKA jacket is set for a limited release on December 12th of this year. The MOON PARKA utilizes structural protein materials that Goldwin and Spiber have been jointly developing since 2015. Applications to enter the pre-order lottery for the chance to purchase the MOON PARKA was available to the public back in August 29, 2019.
The MOON PARKA is the second item launched under THE NORTH FACE and Spiber’s collaborative project, THE NORTH FACE Sp. The parka, with an outermost layer made from 100% jointly-developed Brewed Protein materials, is the world’s first commercially available outerwear jacket to utilize structural proteins produced through a microbial fermentation process that does not rely on petrochemical resources. The MOON PARKA takes its name from the word moonshot, an attempt to achieve an extremely difficult task for the sake of the enormous impact that its success would entail.
The four years of research and development since the initial MOON PARKA prototype was unveiled has led to an extensive evolution in the product. The latest iteration of the jacket features a simple, timeless design well-suited to any setting -from street to summit- with fabric that satisfies Goldwin’s strict durability and stability quality standards. A breathable, waterproof laminate forms the middle layer of the shell, and the inner padding, taking inspiration from the expedition-use, cold-resistant Himalayan Parka in THE NORTH FACE’s Summit Series, uses 900 fill power CLEANDOWN to ensure heat retention. Laid out on the inner lining is a photograph of planet Earth as taken by the Apollo 11 crew during mankind’s first successful visit to the lunar surface. This serves to embody the concepts behind the MOON PARKA -the boundless possibilities of humanity, as well as the conviction that the bold and daring can conquer any obstacle.
Goldwin and Spiber believe that it is the duty of the present generation to shift away from a short-term, consumerist economic model based on the use of non-renewable petroleum resources, and to move towards a sustainable, long-term economic model based on the use of renewable, sustainable resources. Through their joint research and development initiative, they are striving to re-evaluate our way of thinking about the relationship between nature and mankind. By considering how to balance functionality with environmental considerations, and by examining the role of products and the economy, Goldwin and Spiber hope to arrive at a solution for creating sports apparel items which can support a lifestyle in harmony with nature. In doing so, they believe they can make a considerable contribution to the development of a sustainable world.
Brewed Protein materials are the protein fibers, films, and other types of materials manufactured using Spiber’s proprietary fermentation (brewing) process. Brewed Protein materials show great potential for use in a wide range of industries. With a production process that utilizes plant-derived sugars as primary raw ingredients, Brewed Protein materials are well placed to address increasing market pressure for animal-free, microplastic-free alternatives in the apparel industry. The unique, customizable nature of Brewed Protein materials also shows potential to fulfill growing demand in the automotive and aerospace industries for lighter-weight materials. Through an evolutionary and iterative optimization process which begins at the molecular level, Brewed Protein materials can be tailored to suit the needs of each specific application.
