We started Noskin with a vision. To make a clothing brand that was 100% free of animal products, but maintained the quality, design aesthetic and style that we wanted from our clothing.
As we began to design the launch collection, we began to see how important it was to not only ensure our products were vegan and high quality, but also made from well-considered materials that limited the impact on the planet.
For different garments, the outcome of this vision led us to different materials. However, one material we couldn’t look past when designing our signature Noskin Worker Jacket, was Hemp.
Hemp is an interesting fabric for us, because somewhat ironically, when you say ‘vegan fashion’ people often think of tie-dye and hemp clothing, which is the perception we set out to change for cruelty-free fashion. However, as we did our research, especially when considering our commitment to sustainability, we began to see just how much benefit there is to using Hemp.
Often dismissed as a hippie fabric, or too closely related to getting high behind the shed in your garden (maybe that’s just me…), hemp has a way to go to rebuild its reputation, but we’re here to help!
Hemp is a renewable fabric and can take as little as 90 days to grow, with traditional cotton sometimes taking in excess of 150 days, and 180 in extreme circumstances. As a result, hemp takes significantly less water to produce than cotton and has a much larger crop yield, immediately reducing its environmental impact.
Hemp requires no pesticides or fertilizers to grow and it even supplies its own nutrients back into the soil, meaning it can be grown in the same place for years, without degenerating the land. And who said horticulture wasn’t cool!?
Due to the non-destructive crop cycles, lower energy consumption and organic growth practices, hemp is considered to be a highly sustainable and eco-friendly fabric, not to mention, extremely durable.
The fibre produced from hemp is similar to linen in texture, but it can also be blended with other natural fibres to utilise the durability of the hemp, but the softness of cotton or bamboo.
This is why we have favoured a blend of hemp and organic cotton in our Noskin Hemp Worker, which is a garment that requires durability.
Starting to see just how much of a super-fabric hemp really is? Well, we’re not done yet!
The fabric has various natural advantages such as keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer. It protects your skin by naturally filtering UV light and even resists bacterial growth and breathes excellently, preventing odors naturally.
Hemp won't weaken when washed and retains color better than any other fabric, which is great for extending the lifecycle of your clothing, which is one of the biggest indirect contributions to sustainable fashion we can make.
We love using hemp for the beautiful textures it brings to a garment, but we really love it because we know that with every hemp garment we sell, someone has received a piece of clothing that was kinder to the planet and will truly last a lifetime.