British fashion designer Stella McCartney is partnering with San Francisco biotech company Bolt Threads to add more luxury sustainable materials to her brand, further boosting her eco credentials.

Bolt Threads is renowned for using a clean, closed-loop manufacturing process to create lightweight, quality fabrics from natural proteins, such as a vegan-friendly, yeast-based silk. McCartney will use this silk for the first time to create a one-of-a-kind shift dress, commissioned for the exhibition Items: Is Fashion Modern? at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (October 1 2017 to January 28 2018).

“I never thought there would be a day like this, where we would arrive at such an important moment when technology is fused with fashion, one of the most harmful industries to the environment,” said McCartney in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily. “Now is the time to search for answers, for alternatives. For me, I’ve always struggled with the use of silk, and finding Bolt has been a life-changing and career-changing moment for me.”

The collaboration continues McCartney’s ongoing eco efforts. In July 2017, the fashion label extended its partnership with Parley for the Oceans, an organisation that develops materials from plastic bottles found in the sea. Read Upscaling Upcycling: Adidas x Parley for more.

For further exploration of sustainable fashion solutions, look out for our upcoming Industry Report The New Fashion Landscape 2017 Update, publishing on August 16.