Polybion™, the biomaterials innovator behind Celium™, is gearing up for an exciting year, starting with a major moment at Paris Fashion Week. For the second consecutive season, Polybion™ returns to the prestigious event, continuing its collaboration with GANNI and advancing its mission to bring responsible, aesthetically innovative fashion to the forefront. This season, Celium™ will appear in two stunning XXL Hobo Bags—one in Oil Green and the other in Blackberry Wine—marking a significant leap for cultivated materials in the luxury sector.
While full details of the collaboration remain under wraps, Celium™ is once again set to make waves across the fashion scene. Previous Paris Fashion Week collaborations with GANNI revealed dynamic fashion pieces, including the iconic baby pink crop top, chic miniskirt, and the hallmark Bou Bag. The continued partnership with GANNI speaks to the power of innovation and shared vision between Polybion™ and brands committed to shaping the future of fashion.
María Paula Arroyo González, PR & Community Manager at Polybion™, sheds light on the advanced biofabrication process behind Celium™. “The harvesting and stabilization process is one of the most crucial steps in the production of Celium™. Once the bacterial culture has grown and self-assembled into its fibrous structure, the material must be carefully harvested under controlled conditions. Stabilization ensures that Celium™ retains its integrity, durability, and desired characteristics over time.”
Unlike traditional tanning, which often relies on hazardous chemicals, Polybion™ has developed a proprietary stabilization method that optimizes water reuse, minimizes waste, and avoids toxic substances. This approach has been central to the company’s research and development, ensuring Celium™ is not just an alternative to conventional materials, but a superior one.
The team behind Celium™ is a collective of biotechnologists, material scientists, engineers, designers, and strategists working toward a shared vision. “Our team understands that we are not just creating a product—we are pioneering a new category of materials,” says Arroyo González. “The attention to detail, precision, and commitment to continuous improvement influence every single sheet of Celium™, ensuring consistency while embracing the material’s unique biological nature.”
Scaling Celium™ from a lab-grown concept to an industrially viable biomaterial has required overcoming several challenges. “One of the biggest hurdles was optimizing yield and consistency at an industrial scale while ensuring the bacteria remain highly productive throughout the fermentation process,” Arroyo González explains. Another key challenge was refining the stabilization process to enhance the material’s durability without the use of harmful chemicals. “A major breakthrough came when we refined our process to control thickness, texture, and mechanical properties during growth, allowing Celium™ to be tailored for different applications.”
A critical component of Polybion™’s success is FOAK I (First-of-a-Kind), the world’s first bacterial cellulose biomanufacturing facility. “FOAK I allows us to continuously iterate and refine our production techniques, setting the stage for future expansion, licensing models, and the integration of Celium™ into global supply chains,” says Arroyo González. The facility proves that biomaterials can be produced at scale, replacing extractive supply chains with cultivated alternatives designed for high performance and minimal environmental impact.
For this Paris Fashion Week, Polybion™ provided GANNI with close to 50 grown-to-order sheets, which went through rigorous testing and creative exploration before the final designs, including the two XL Hobo Bags, made it to the runway. Each piece represents a step in the ongoing journey toward market-ready products that redefine benchmarks for responsible luxury.
Paris Fashion Week is just the beginning for Celium™ in 2025. “The broader fashion industry is undergoing a shift toward materials with transparent sourcing, traceable production, and lower environmental impact, and Celium™ aligns perfectly with these trends,” says Arroyo González. “Unlike conventional alternatives, it is grown, not extracted or synthesized, offering designers a unique narrative and a truly next-generation material.”
Polybion™ cherishes its partnership with GANNI, one that understands the challenges and rewards of introducing new materials to the world's most prestigious runway. The continued evolution of Celium™ demonstrates the brand’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the fashion industry. With more announcements expected later in 2025, Polybion™ is positioned at the forefront of biomaterial innovation, inspiring other fashion brands to lead with vision and action.
With groundbreaking collaborations both public and private, continuous advancements, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, Celium™ is proving that the future of fashion isn’t just sustainable—it’s cultivated. Keep an eye on Polybion™ this year as it continues to shape the next generation of materials.
