What’s not to love about Colorado? 300 days of sunshine, the Rocky Mountains right up the road, friendly neighbors, our eco-friendly environment, and of course we can’t forget about the NoCo Hemp Expo this weekend in Loveland, Colorado! Vendors from all over the state will be there to show and tell you why their textiles and designs are eco-friendly, odorless, and have numerous other benefits that are worth every penny. This week, we spoke with textile vendors and clothing companies that utilize hemp to create their products and designs, and we’re going to change your first assumption about Hemp.

So, what does hemp have to do with fashion? Read along and learn how this tough material is sticking around and making a statement in the industry.

Hemp Traders began in 1994, and has become the largest supplier of hemp products in North America. Lawrence Serbin, the President and founder of Hemp Traders got his inspiration for the business from doing research on cannabis and the different uses. He discovered that hemp can be used for clothing, cement, textiles, rope, paper, essential oils, and more. Hemp products are imported from other countries for now. However, in the future, companies are looking to create factories in the U.S., more specifically in parts of Colorado. The ability to produce textiles and other products for hemp in the States will create a vast amount of opportunities for the business.

Envirotextiles is a newer company but has still been in the hemp industry for 35 years, and their suppliers in China have been in the business with them for just as long. Summer from Envirotextiles, said that they have set up micro-mills in Romania and are developing two in Colorado; they have one micro-mill on the eastern plains and one in Western Colorado near Glenwood Springs. Their big money maker that the moment? Composite! Think of bulletin boards… Isn’t that cool? Do you care about the environment? Do you care about your health? Of course, you do! Envirotextiles is breaking the idea barrier with new medical scrubs, “to reduce the spread of bacteria such as staph through the use of hemp fabrics with naturally inherent antibacterial properties”, and you can read more about this on their website!

Hemptique is a cool and calm Californian company that sells clothing, bags, shoes, jewelry and more! Check them out for your next environmentally friendly shopping spree online! They also sell yarn at Hobby Lobby and JoAnn’s Fabric!

Last but certainly not least, you have to check out Chiefton Supply! Their ideas had me on the edge of my chair, and I cannot believe their clothing line is not already seen all over Fort Collins! Check out this brand that has taken clothing to a new level and targeted their customers needs like a bullseye! This style is perfect for the Millenial age group and I have no doubt their products will be showing up around campus soon!

Hemp clothing is one of the strongest natural textiles, is resistant to ultraviolet light, and hollow– which creates a flow of air for the products and makes it more absorbent to hold the dye. And hemp is already making its way into your closets! Patagonia, Prana, Jung Mavin, Ellen Fisher, REI, to name a few of many others, are companies that have or are currently selling products that are made from hemp!

Thinking of going on a hike sometime soon? Make sure to throw a hemp shirt in your bag! Hemp clothing is odorless… Yes!! I said odorless! Grab your favorite shirt made from this material for your next camping trip if you’re a light packer and don’t want to smell! And let’s throw out the stigma that hemp clothing is rough, because Hemp Traders, Envirotextiles, Hemptique, and Chiefton Supply can all agree that their products are soft and ready for any adventure!

Tickets and Registration; Sponsors and Exhibitors
Tickets and registration are available for the Farm & Ag Symposium, Industry B2B Day, the Hemp Summit, and to the general public at http://nocohempexpo.com/ticket-sales/. For volunteer inquiries, visit http://nocohempexpo.com/registration-noco5/.