Japan startup spins profitable future for synthetic spider silk

Tokyo

LATER this year, outdoor-gear retailer North Face will offer its environmentally conscious shoppers at its outlet in Tokyo's posh Harajuku fashion district a chance to save the planet.

North Face's outlets in Japan will sell a US$1,000, special edition "Moon Parka", a gold-coloured jacket based on the design of its existing Antarctica parka but made of synthetic spider silk, a super-strong material developed by Spiber Inc.