BioFluff and JNBY Group bring material innovation to menswear with Croquis, debuting Savian — a plant-based, plastic-free fur alternative — in a commercial collaboration that rethinks ethical materials through design and wearability.
It isn’t often that a simple vest becomes the most talked-about piece on the menswear calendar, but the latest from Croquis moved past runway buzz straight into wearable reality. In Spring 2026, the Paris and New York-based biomaterials company BioFluff and China’s JNBY Group tapped a plant-based revolution for a sleeveless Croquis vest fashioned from Savian by BioFluff — the first commercial retail collaboration of its kind anywhere in the world.
Most garments in menswear aim for style, warmth, or function. This one sets out to do all three without animal fur, plastic faux, or any of the ethical trade-offs that have dogged outerwear for decades.
“This launch with Croquis demonstrates BioFluff’s move from innovation to scale. We have have advanced beyond pilots and now collaborate with sustainability teams, buyers, and designers on commercial releases,” Luke Henning, Interim CEO of BioFluff, said in a statement. “The key is our seamless integration: we disrupt animal fur and plastic production, not brand operations or business models. This validates market readiness, accelerates our pipeline, and establishes the foundation for further penetration into the Asian market and beyond.”
What makes Savian — a material launched with Stella McCartney at COP28 in December 2023 and championed by design circles ever since — noteworthy is precisely what Savian promises: a luxurious textile experience without petroleum, plastic, or animal harm. The material is made in Italy by combining plant-based fibers, heritage craftsmanship, and biotechnology.
Industry watchers have been tracking material innovation for years, noting that while faux fur has been a popular alternative to animal pelts, most faux options are petroleum-based and rife with microplastics at end-of-life. Savian, in contrast, taps nettle, flax, and hemp to replicate softness and volume while sidestepping petroleum entirely.
What comes after faux fur?
The broader significance of this partnership isn’t just that a revolutionary material is finally in stores, but that it’s in real consumer fashion, not just concept or couture. While larger brands have toyed with bio-based textiles, few have progressed to commercial drops. BioFluff’s move with Croquis signals a shift from sample runs toward purposeful retail — a jump both investors and designers care about.
BioFluff itself entered the scene in 2022 with its mission to entirely reimagine fleecy, plush, and fuzzy materials from the ground up. As a biomaterials startup rooted in Paris, New York, and London, it has consistently positioned its proprietary textiles to deliver the softness and warmth associated with traditional fur and plush without fossil fuels, plastic, or cruelty.
The choice of plant-based inputs like nettle, hemp, and flax — fibers historically valued for durability and low environmental footprint — isn’t incidental. In comparative sustainability analyses, plant-based fibers generally require minimal water and land, and the overall production process is free from toxic solvents or coatings often used in synthetic textiles.
For consumers who have long weighed the ethics of faux versus real fur — a debate also shaped by legislative pressure and cultural shifts away from animal pelts — Savian and this Croquis collaboration offer something new and palpable. For years, eco-minded shoppers could admire sustainable innovations in niche contexts or runway experiments. Now, they can literally reach out and feel them on the rack. For anyone curious about what comes after plastic faux and traditional animal fur, this vest might be your first clue.
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