In March, Levi’s announced their collaboration with the sustainable fashion brand Outerknown. The debut featured a pair of jeans and a jacket made from 70% cotton and 30% hemp that feels indistinguishable from real cotton upon touch. Although hemp is coarser than cotton, Levi’s has used technology to create a blend that combines the softness and durability of the two fabrics. And, this is only the beginning as the company announced plans to completely switch to hemp.
If a heritage fashion label dedicated to cotton is moving towards new materials, does that mean that hemp is more sustainable than cotton?
Why The Change To Hemp?
Hemp is a cannabis plant that contains an extremely small amount of THC (0.3%). Materials made from those fibers come from the trunk of the plant. That’s part of the reason that clothing made from hemp is coarser; the fibers are stiffer. While that won’t make the softest of jeans, it can make jeans more durable.
Our intention is to take this to the core of the line, to blend it into the line, to make this a part of the Levi’s portfolio.
Paul Dillinger, Head of Global Product Innovation at Levi’s
How is hemp more sustainable?
Hemp is a weed, meaning that it grows freely and requires less water and pesticides than cotton. The concern over finding freshwater sources for future cotton production led Levi’s to seek out new solutions. It’s also important to note that hemp produces more pulp per acre and returns nutrients to the soil.
We’re going to go from a garment that goes from 3,781 L of fresh water, 2,655 of that in just the fiber cultivation.
Paul Dillinger, Head of Global Product Innovation at Levi’s
How are they making the change?
Dillinger has high hopes that Levi’s will create “a 100% customized-hemp garment that is all hemp and feels all cotton,” in the next five years. The goal will be part of a project to make hemp a core part of Levi’s products. Yet, it’s important to note that Levi’s doesn’t see this as an instant-sustainable fix. Rather, it’s a long-term research project to see if hemp is more sustainable than cotton.
