One Plant, Many Possibilities: Soy’s Growing Potential for Fashion Production

Soybeans are an incredibly versatile ingredient for the fashion industry, and increasingly material innovators and brands are tapping into its potential.

More than a beverage, soy milk can be used as a binder in textile dyeing, helping color adhere to fabrics and yarns. Meanwhile, soy-based inks offer an eco-friendly option to print labels or patterns on fabrics. Soybean oil can also function as an alternative to petroleum-based inputs in materials such as faux leathers and textile fibers.

“It’s pretty amazing to see how soy is now integrated into the materiality of fabrics,” said Yoon Jong Chang, adjunct associate professor at Pratt Institute (BFA program). “All these amazing progressive fabrics that one would never connect to this plant.”

Farm to Fashion

Soy is a major agriculture crop in the United States, second to corn for planted acres. The U.S. is the second largest supplier of soy, accounting for roughly 30 percent of global supply.

U.S. soybean growers—predominantly located in the Midwest—are leading the field in sustainability, with a lower carbon footprint than their peers in other countries. A life cycle assessment commissioned by the United Soybean Board (NSB) and the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) released earlier this year showed that soybean production’s carbon footprint decreased 19 percent in 2021. Contributing to this are land management practices like “no till” that keep carbon in the soil, land efficiency that achieves larger yields with the same acreage, targeted pesticide application and efficiencies that lower fuel usage.

“Sustainability-wise, [soybeans] are an easy crop to decide to grow, as modern soybean genetics lend themselves very well to many climates and conditions,” said Michigan-based soybean farmer Carla Schultz. “They are very carbon friendly as they add nutrients into the soil and actually enhance the soil by feeding the microorganisms underneath the soil. They also fix nitrogen into the soil, which at some point will feed other crops.”

As soybeans are processed into soybean meal—used for animal feed—oil is extracted, which can be used in place of petroleum-based inputs, offering a bio-based alternative to fossil fuels.

“It’s like the miracle crop,” Schultz said. “It can be made into feed, bio-based chemicals or cleaning agents, textiles, certain oils, and it’s in the renewable fuels market. Knowing that all those markets are open is an advantage for any kind of soybean farmer out there.”

Vegetable Cashmere

KD New York’s soy journey started when the dancewear manufacturer was seeking out an animal-free alternative to cashmere, which it saw was on an “unsustainable path” since scaling would require more land and animals. The brand began tests on soy and found it fit the bill. 

The sustainability profile was also on point. “[Soy] turned out to be right for all the right reasons,” explained KD New York creative director David Lee. “It checked all the boxes: plant based, no animal fibers and less environmental impact.” Soy protein isolate, a key input for KD New York’s Vegetable Cashmere™, is a waste material from the production of soy-based foods—tofu and soy milk.

KD New York’s Vegetable Cashmere™ fiber—developed alongside mills through “trial and error”—is a blend of soy protein fiber, lyocell and cotton to best mimic cashmere. To further emulate the luxury fiber, KD New York developed a proprietary wash technique.

“Vegetable Cashmere is competitive not only in the hand feel and visual effect, but it is performance competitive to cashmere,” said Lee. Vegetable Cashmere™ is better in some ways, as it is machine washable and less expensive than its namesake. The higher tensile strength also allows for yarn manipulation that would not be possible with cashmere, unlocking creative design opportunities.

Due to the significant soy cultivation in the U.S., Lee sees the potential to eventually onshore much of the sourcing and production to the States from its current overseas supply chain. Although soy and soy protein isolate are accessible in the U.S., what is currently lacking is wet spinning capacity to make the yarn.

Bio-Based Materials

Biomaterials firm Modern Meadow uses soy as the basis of its Bio-Alloy green chemistry solution, which brings together plant-based protein and biopolymers. “This patented miscible [mixable] blend delivers unique performance features to the materials it is applied to, including but not limited to strength, durability and wear resistance, enhanced dyeability and breathability,” said Jeff Smith, general manager, biomaterials at Modern Meadow.

Bio-Alloy underpins Modern Meadow products like Bio-Vera, a strong faux leather that is also recyclable. “Bio-Vera delivers a sensory and visual experience very similar to animal leathers,” said Smith. “It can meet and exceed many of the key performance features of leather, which allows it use in a wide range of applications.”

Modern Meadow also developed the fade-resistant luxury faux leather Bio-Tex, adopted by brands like Tory Burch and Everlane. Bio-Alloy is also the building block for the firm’s PFAS-free waterproofing membrane Bio-Alloy Shield.

“A challenge faced by all new materials is the ability to reach an affordable scale quickly,” said Smith. “We have been able to reach that scale quickly in part due to the existing scale of soy production today.”

College Creations

Last year, U.S. Soy introduced the Soy in Textile Design Challenge (NEXTILE), a competition that introduces design students to soy-based fashion inputs, tasking them with creating a sample that uses soy, across categories including fashion, accessories, furniture, automotive and more.

“NEXTILE offers a unique, hands-on learning experience that encourages students to creatively and critically address environmental impacts in their designs,” said Lance Cheramie, teaching assistant professor in the apparel merchandising and product development program at the University of Arkansas’ Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, one of the first edition’s participating schools. “The competition’s focus on reducing reliance on non-renewable resources and promoting a circular economy that aligns perfectly with my teaching philosophy.”

U.S. Soy provided the six participating colleges with boxes of soy-based materials, such as a knit terry cloth, faux leather, yarn and dyestuff, and students in the 2023 competition transformed these elements into a range of innovative designs, including furniture covers, a wall hanging, bedding, scarf and skirt.

“Because this new generation of students is so sustainably minded, they can change the way people perceive fashion and combine different qualities so that it doesn’t look like a typical organic fabric, bringing newness and innovation,” said Chang. “Soy is not just a plant anymore. It can be anything.”

Now heading into its second year, NEXTILE has grown to include 22 participating schools.

Planting Seeds

Soy’s future in fashion is bright, but there is still work to be done to scale up soy materials in the industry.

Cheramie noted that consumer education about soy’s eco-friendly attributes is needed to create more downstream demand for soy-based products, while designers also need primers on how to use solutions like soy threads, leathers or dyes.

“Soy-based textiles offer a renewable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based and animal-based fibers, aligning well with the growing demand for eco-friendly materials,” said Cheramie. “The NEXTILE competition has highlighted soy’s innovative potential, demonstrating its creative use in textile design while supporting a circular economy. However, challenges such as higher production costs, scaling up infrastructure and limited market awareness could hinder broader adoption. Overcoming these barriers will be crucial for wider integration into fashion supply chains.”

Click here to learn more about U.S. Soy. And find out more about NEXTILE here.