…if you ever had something made out of hemp, there would be some marijuana leaf embellished there someplace, not a good look if you’re not into that whole thing…
Some of you may remember the days when the only place you would see hemp clothing were in the same shops you would find patchouli oil and inscents. Well, at least it was the only place I ever saw them… and if you ever had something made out of hemp, there would be some marijuana leaf embellished there someplace, not a good look if you’re not into that whole thing. The truth is hemp is quite the eco-saviour in textiles as it requires no pesticides and little water, it grows in most temperate climates, restores soil, and it’s long roots help hold the topsoil* It’s lightweight and three times stronger than cotton; UV, water and mold resistant; and it’s versatile enough to be blended with cotton and silk.
So why don’t we see more of this textile used by designers? Good question.. Heather Heron, makes lovely handbags that are both eco-friendly and sophisticated. Clutches with studs, gold trim, hobo shoulderbags, roomy totes… all the types of bags a stylish woman would want. Most of all I really like seeing designers who work with sustainability in mind, as eco-fashion shouldn’t be about deprivation, because in the end, what we’re getting is infinitely more.
You can purchase Heather Heron’s bags online, and thanks to Inhabitat for introducing me to this line!
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They are lovely.
I like the top left one the best. I’ll have to check out the full range because I’m about to bust the handles on my current work tote.
Luv
Poochie
Those are GORGEOUS! A perfect example of what can be done with creativity and sustainability in mind.
I agree with Poochie- my favorite is by far the top left one, though they’re all great.
love those! beklina has carried the clutch in the past, but my favorite is that hobo. very cool.
Ah cool… I’m glad you ladies like these too! I just stopped in my scrolling tracks when I saw the bags…then when I found they were made of hemp, it really pushed me over the top!
the hobo, it’s been around for ages, but there’s a reason, such a handy bag form.
~poochie if you get the bag… you have to show it!
~ashe… i agree creativity and sustainablity really should go hand in hand
~grechen ooh, i’m checking out beklina right now…and I didn’t know you had an eco blog too! i just subscribed!
Amazing! - but surely if they are natural they should cost less??
Love the top left as well. Fantastic bags.
lovely bags
goodness, do i ever love the ‘cypress’…
i’m so pleased sustainability has become less a ‘fad’ and more commonplace…
the first bag looks so much like my 2 pound primark bag, which is a true classic!
liking the others, too, though
One of the reasons many people may not use hemp is because of the higher cost of the fabric, which is due to the high cost of harvesting. I grew up in a farming community (mainly wheat, flax, barley) but for a little while about 10 years ago the gov’t gave an incentive for farmers to switch some of their crops to hemp. All seemed fine and dandy until farmers started to harvest, and ended up destroying the blades on their combines (the harvesting tractor type thing), or even catching their combines on fire! The fibres of hemp are sooo strong, the regular machinery just couldn’t handle it. So basically if the farmers wanted to grow the hemp, they would have to buy specialized machinery, which is extraordinarily expensive. Combines cost around $100 000. So basically all the farmers just said forgter it, and stuck to their old crops. Same thing goes for sewing the fabric, you burn through needles like no tomorrow. I worked with hemp denim once, it was hell and I went through a ton of needles and dulled my scissors, but man did it wear in gorgeously.
So that, my friends, is the longwinded story of why hemp is not cheap. Higher production costs.
gorgeous bags indeed! nice to know that eco-fashion is really existent in today’s depressing environment..
Oh wow-my sister would love one of those! I’m keeping this in mind for Christmas..
AngieMontreal- wow! thanks for the info.
and Jennine- nice findings!
thanks angie for letting us in on why hemp is more expensive. i really didn’t know myself, but i figured the pricing may have to do with the production at some point, whether in harvesting or otherwise.. and it would make sense that it would be harder to work with than cotton, as the fibers are so strong.
that said, since cotton often requires so many chemicals, and organic cotton is so hard to grow, hemp still does seem like a good option for sustainable textiles, even if they do require special machinery.
also… i was looking at the prices, and compared with leather, the bags are cheaper… you cant get a quality leather clutch for less than $400, unless it was made in china. i’m exaggerating, but only slightly.
thanks bena… i agree!
annie… christmas… i don’t even want to start thinking about it until next month.
thanks swan! are you thinking of working with hemp?
That bag is fabulous!!!
i definitely plan to work with more organic fabric when i can buy in larger quantities. but also just to hear AngieMontreal’s tale of burning through needles. i never thought i could break 5 needles in 20 minutes dealing with denim or the heavy cottons i use but i do and have. it’s crazy.
The bag ist super… fantastisch!!
I Like the second bag. Where can I buy such bag?
It is good information!
Good blog!
thanks