Hemp - The Fabric of Fashion's Future

The crop’s legalization could change the industry — and threaten cotton’s dominance. HYPEBEAST Features - Go in-depth and learn more about the culture. [HYPEBEAST]( [Features]( August 16, 2019 [When It Comes to Sustainability, Hemp Is The Fabric of Fashion's Future]( The crop’s legalization could change the industry — and threaten cotton’s dominance. RICK OWENS Picture hemp-based clothes, and you’ll likely imagine a rough textile akin to a burlap sack — but that may soon change. “In 20 years [hemp] will be the fabric of the future,” states Isabel Siracusa, Fabric Developer for denim brand Orta Anadolu. With the ratification of the [2018 Farm Bill]( hemp is poised to become a fully industrialized commodity, as the bill allows for the plant to be legally farmed throughout the country. As Siracusa affirms, that may well lead to hemp to be more widely utilized in the fashion industry. However, hemp’s potential adoption as the textile of choice would likely disrupt fashion’s current number one raw material: cotton. Cotton is a seemingly innocuous textile. And yet, the production of the textile for the fashion industry has had detrimental environmental impacts. Although fashion’s true [contribution to climate change is hotly debated]( the industry’s sheer size means its impact on the world can’t be ignored. It’s up to big brands and companies to talk about it and consider how consumers interact with it. EVAN KINORI Rob Jungmann, founder of [Manastash]( and owner of [Jungmaven]( was elated to hear of industrial hemp’s legal status. Jungmann has advocated for hemp’s use in fashion for decades, having spent countless hours educating himself and others on the crop. Jungmann became one of the early contemporary vanguards to experiment with the fabric in his designs. “In the ‘90s, there was a big boom, around ‘94 to ‘98. There was a big taste for it,” he explains to HYPEBEAST. He founded his first brand, Manatash, in 1993, and rooted the label in a “healthy clothing” ethos. He created his second fashion label, Jungmaven, in 2012 with similarly ethical intentions. Jungmann’s goal is to raise awareness for the positive environmental impacts of hemp farming and, in his eyes, “the T-Shirt [is] the easiest way to spread this message.” [READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →]( [banner]( [banner](   [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[FASHION]( [8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week]( [[MUSIC]( [Justin Vernon on Kanye West: "I Can’t Really Kick It with Him Anymore."]( [Get The App Free on iOS and Android]( Follow --------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](. It may take 48 hours to complete the unsubscribe process. Contact subscription@hypebeast.com for assistance on any enquiries. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 10F, KC 100, 100 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong