Apparel brand Cone Denim has teamed up with hemp innovator BastCore to integrate the material within its latest collection. Bastcore boasts a patent-pending technology and proprietary process said to produce clean, mechanically processed, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified and USDA bio-preferred hemp fibre out of its site in Alabama, USA.
“Cone’s prior work and commitment to sustainable innovations made a perfect fit with BastCore and our mission to bridge the gap between farmers growing hemp and industries demanding cost-competitive, sustainably produced raw materials,” said BastCore Managing Director Austin Bryant.
Cone Denim’s new collection inaugurates the pair’s partnership and is made up of garments containing hemp and US cotton, dyed with a naturally grown indigo dye developed in Tennessee. Compared with conventional cotton, hemp is said to require 50 percent less water, no chemicals – such as pesticides and herbicides – and is believed to have high rates of carbon sequestration, in turn benefitting the environment.
“BastCore’s innovation of American hemp opens great opportunities to create sustainable denims made from US sourced agriculture products located in close proximity to Cone’s manufacturing operations in Mexico,” said Cone’s President, Steve Maggard.
“US farmers have world-class sustainable growing practices and produce quality products used in Cone’s denim including cotton, corn for sizing starch, natural plant-based indigo, and more recently, hemp. We are proud to support the American agriculture industry and work alongside like-minded partners who share our passion and commitment,” he added.
The firms will launch the collection at the Kingpins Amsterdam Show next week. Cone’s commitment to ‘sustainable’ denim has previously seen it team up with traceability solutions specialist Oritain to verify the origin of its materials. Samples assessed have demonstrated that they present zero risk or affiliation with restricted zones around the world, such as China’s Xinjiang region.
