Hemp in High Fashion

Mara Hoffman Julia top in hemp

Hemp is back in high fashion, as more designers turn to environmentally-friendly materials. Mara Hoffman, Reese Cooper, and Bethany Williams are among the brands putting plants at the core of their lookbooks.

This article was originally written for Honeysuckle magazine’s 15th edition in 2022. Link to the full article and images here.

While clothing made of hemp may still conjure up images of Woodstock-era harem pants and flowing boho tunics, the need for more sustainable choices in fashion is prompting designers to upgrade hemp from its hippie heritage to the world of high fashion.

Fashion Versus The Planet

Behind all those Instagram trends from “norm core” to “coastal grandmother”, is the fact that fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Huge amounts of water, chemicals pesticides and fertilizers are required to grow and process the plants which eventually become our #OOTD. Cotton is an especially thirsty fiber and it takes approximately 713 gallons of water just to make a single cotton tee shirt. But hemp fiber, made from the stem of the cannabis plant, is a highly sustainable crop that grows quickly and requires little water and no fertilizer or pesticides. The plant gives nutrients back to the soil and the fiber is easy to color with non-toxic natural dyes.

So Why Aren't We All Wearing Hemp?

As you probably know, the U.S. has a long and politicized history with hemp. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp and even the very first American flag by Betsy Ross was made from hemp fiber. But hemp production decreased dramatically when the cotton gin was invented in 1794, making cotton easier (and therefore more profitable) to harvest.

Money was the motivation in the 1930s when hemp was demonized by two powerful businessmen. Publisher William Randolph Hearst was invested in thousands of acres of forest land, which provided his newspaper empire with wood-based paper versus the cheaper and more durable hemp paper.

Lammot du Pont was head of the chemical company DuPont, where polyester and nylon fibers were first created, opening the door to a new synthetic clothing market that our activewear lifestyle is still expanding today.

According to author Jack Herer, who wrote the fittingly named book The Emperor Wears No Clothes, du Pont lobbied the U.S. Treasury Department to slow hemp production. Then Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics, lumped hemp and cannabis together and created a racist campaign to blame them for violent crime and insanity. Hearst’s wood-based magazines and newspapers spread the propaganda far and wide until they all got what they wanted in 1937, when the U.S. government banned hemp production making it illegal until 2018.

Hemp Is Back In Fashion

Now that farmers can plant hemp again, the fashion industry is rediscovering and reinventing this remarkable fiber. Pure hemp fabric feels like linen, and it softens quickly the more it is washed and worn. Many designers are mixing hemp with organic cotton and even silk to create different weights and textures. Hemp is also one of the strongest and most durable natural fibers, and can be easily machine washed and dried. According to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, hemp fabric can keep you warm in winter, cool in the summer and it is resistant to mold, mildew and even UV rays from the sun.

For designers looking to work in hemp RAWGANIC is a great source of 100% hemp by the yard. Kendor offers a variety of hemp blends.