Bolt Threads, a materials innovation company, and Best Made Co., the New York based apparel and lifestyle brand, have announced the release of their collaborative product, the limited edition Best Made Microsilk Cap of Courage. The hat marks Bolt Threads’ second commercially available product using Microsilk, and the first collaborative product with Best Made Co. since Bolt Threads acquired the brand in July.

Designed in-house by Best Made Co. and developed by a team of scientists, engineers and apparel experts, the knit hat combines luxurious wool fibres with bioengineered spider silk, representing the future of apparel technology, sustainability and design, the companies report. The limited range, made entirely in the US, includes 100 unisex units in one size, available in 10 colourways.

“Made for wear on both city streets and backcountry hikes, the hat is said to be soft to the touch, yet durable enough to insulate in inclement conditions. The Microsilk Cap of Courage is the warmest hat within the Best Made Co. collection due to the innovative blend of wool and bioengineered spider silk and is offered in a range of assorted, vibrant stripes,” the manufacturer explains.

Process

Knit using a staple yarn (or spun yarn, produced by combining many short-length fibres), the hat is made of a blend of Bolt Threads’ signature Microsilk and American Rambouillet sheep wool sourced from Mountain Meadow Wool, a family-operated, Wyoming-based mill. Over the course of nine months, the Bolt Threads, Best Made Co., and Mountain Meadow teams worked together to integrate modern fibres with traditional materials and spinning techniques.

“After working through a series of prototypes, the final product represents the exquisite merger of expert craftsmanship and breakthrough technology,” the companies say.

Fibre composition

Bolt Threads develops proteins inspired by those natural silks, by putting genes into yeast. The protein is produced in large quantities through fermentation, using yeast, sugar and water, and then wet-spun into fibres and knit into Microsilk.

Known as The American Merino Sheep, Rambouillet Sheep grow a very fine micron wool, offering luxury-level softness. The Microsilk Cap of Courage uses a mixture of white and black wool, to create varying degrees of grey, which are then overdyed in ten of Best Made’s signature colourways.

Once the Microsilk and wool fibres are properly dyed, both are sent through mechanical carding equipment to blend and twist the individual fibres into one cohesive spool of yarn for knitting.

www.boltthreads.com

www.bestmadeco.com

Further reading

Making spider silk without the spiders: Interview with Jamie Bainbridge, Vice President of Product Development at Bolt Threads