US Denim Bridges Cotton’s Supply-Demand Gap with Hemp
Climate change is impacting all areas of life, but it’s also having an effect on the fashion industry, as droughts, floods and other extreme weather events alter cotton crop viability and supply.
“What we have observed over the years is disruption in production of crops, resulting in a serious and significant gap in the demand and supply, including cotton,” said Irfan Nazir Ahmad, CEO of the fabrics vertical at US Group.
The Lahore, Pakistan-based mill is adjusting and adapting to the new agricultural normal by exploring new plants—namely hemp. Since 2021, the manufacturer has partnered with the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad to study the cultivation of hemp.
Hemp has a number of benefits, including fast growing cycles and low water and chemical needs. It also has deep roots that prevent soil erosion and support better soil health. The fiber itself is also antimicrobial.
Dubbed the Smart Hemp Initiative, this research began by investigating wild hemp growing freely in northern Pakistan in October 2021. In 2022, the partners sourced, tested and selected seeds, which were then planted in early 2023. That summer, the plants were fully grown and ready for harvest. They were retted, or left in water to decompose so the fibers separate, and this water was reused for irrigation. The fibers were then dried and cottonized so they could be spun alongside cotton, and US Denim chose an 80 percent cotton/20 percent hemp blend.
The denim and selvedge fabrics created were turned into the Sativa ReJean collection that launched at Kingpins Amsterdam this April.
As Pierro Turk, product design consultant for US Denim Mills, put it, hemp and cotton are “best friends” that together offer strength and softness.
“What we want to achieve is to have the perfect fiber that can help the country, the planet to be more sustainable and to be in the right direction for the future,” said Pierro. “So I’m very glad that we can use this new fiber that we created and it would benefit all our denim industry.”