Balenciaga unveils innovative garments for spring 26
Balenciaga, with the support of Kering's Material Innovation Lab, has introduced 3D weaving and bioengineered silk in its spring 26 collection.
Introduced through a fluid wrap shirt (pictured) and shirt-dress within the spring 26 ready-to-wear collection, AMSilk mirrors the look and feel of traditional silk while offering enhanced elasticity and wrinkle resistance, it said.
The innovation behind AMSilk lies in DNA editing and protein engineering. Inspired by the strength and fineness of spider silk, scientists used a spider’s genome as a blueprint to engineer microorganisms in a bioreactor. These microorganisms produce lab-grown proteins that are transformed into polymers, spun into ultrafine yarns, and woven into a silk-like textile that can be tailored like any natural fibre.
The brand has also debuted 3D weaving, a software-driven textile process developed in collaboration with Weffan, a start-up founded in 2020 by textile designer Graysha Audren. The technology is showcased through a classic single-breasted, three-pocket tailored jacket paired with pleated trousers featuring a zip fly and three pockets.
Unlike conventional tailoring, 3D weaving embeds a garment’s construction directly into the fabric during the weaving stage. Produced on upgraded jacquard looms, the textile integrates pattern and structure before cutting begins. Once woven, the fabric is released from its two-dimensional state via precise incisions and unfolded off-loom into a three-dimensional form, before being finished with traditional tailoring techniques.
