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Mavi Introduces New Hemp Denim in Fall/Winter 2022 ‘All Blue’ Collection

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The 2018 Farm Bill and subsequent decriminalization of CBD and hemp in the United States ushered in a new era of accessibility for plant medicine and sustainable materials. As countries across the world similarly reexamine and ease restrictions on hemp, companies and brands are also taking notice.

Namely, if Turkish denim brand Mavi’s new idea takes off, consumers may soon find themselves in a pair of hemp-based jeans. The brand revealed its Fall/Winter 2022 collection, continuing its sustainable All Blue line and introducing five new, eco-friendly concepts: Hemp, Flex Blue, Indigo Shape, SuperSoft Chic and TrueBlue, according to reporting from Sourcing Journal.

All Blue launched in 2020, encompassing four core values aimed to protect the planet through efforts addressing climate change and ecosystem restoration, empowering people and inclusive business models, driving transformative change in communities and, of course, delivering consumers high-quality denim. Mavi hopes to have All Blue products encompassing its entire collection of denim by 2030.

Regarding the introduction of hemp, Mavi expands; their hemp is grown with zero harmful chemicals, uses less water than other natural fibers and is fully biodegradable. The brand also says its hemp fabrics have a “super soft hand-feel” and provide “superior comfort.”

“And then there’s the fact that this eco-friendly fabric is known for its superior comfort and super soft hand-feel, making it the ultimate combination of sustainability and wearability,” the website states. The fabric composition includes 80% cotton, 13% hemp, 6% recycled cotton and 1% elastane.

Mavi isn’t the only brand making this shift. Other brands like Levi’s, Madewell and Weekday have touted the benefits of using hemp in recent years, citing similar sustainable benefits as Mavi.

The brand has introduced a number of hemp styles for women, including the Victoria, a ‘70s-inspired wide-leg jean, and the Mellie jacket, a shrunken trucker-style jacket. Men’s hemp products include the Jake slim-fit jeans and new Loren Trucker jacket.

Hemp is already known as one of the strongest natural fibers in textile processing, boasting more durability than cotton with better ultraviolet protection than other natural, fiber-based fabrics. As Mavi has pointed out, it’s also considered a very sustainable material.

And while the re-emergence of hemp is still in process, innovations have already pushed well beyond what we might initially think of in reference to hemp-based products.

Earlier this year, researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute created a hemp alternative to rebar, which could be used to support concrete structures in the same way steel and other rebars do today, with a reduced environmental impact. The hemp rebar is simply made of intertwined, natural hemp fiber encased in thermoplastic, creating a strong, highly durable, corrosion-resistant reinforcement for cement-based construction projects.

Similarly, Ireland nonprofit Common Knowledge has teamed up with Margent Farm to craft sustainable, affordable and consciously designed tiny homes made with hemp. The material is used for the home exteriors, utilizing corrugated hemp sheets for Margent Farm.

“The fibres sequester carbon, locking it in and stopping it releasing back into the atmosphere, resulting in a very low-carbon product. The high cellulose content (60 – 70%) of the plant makes it a very strong and durable material. The sheet is bound with a sugar based resin made entirely from agricultural waste. Our hemp sheets are a natural alternative to corrugated steel, PVC, bitumen and cement,” Margent Farm says on its website.

And this doesn’t even begin to cover the potential uses for hemp. The plant is used to make a variety of commercial and industrial products, like rope, shoes, paper, bioplastic, insulation and biofuel.

Following the War on Drugs, and its many consequences and fear-driven narratives created around cannabis and other plant medicines, it sometimes feels like society is continually playing a bit of catch up. While it can be challenging to mull over just how much progress we could have made by this point had things gone differently, it’s assuring to see the hemp market begin to take shape and provide a wide array of sustainable options in the future.