Vintage Hemp
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Nestled in the mountains and hills of Vietnam live the spiritual and ceremonial Indigenous Hmong Tribes. Native to their land and culture, these special people are recognisable by their iconic handicrafts and traditions. They live simply, they live naturally.
The Hmong women of these tribes are responsible for the entire hemp process. From digging the crops, planting, growing, harvesting, sowing the seeds then weaving into cloth, these women define sustainability. They have practised these natural ancient hemp techniques for thousands of years making it a lifestyle to sustain their households, support their families and spiritually connect them to their higher ones during ceremony.
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Process
The baste fibre comes from the stalk of a male hemp plant. The fibre is cut and bundled to dry out on in front of a fire, up against a fence or in the walls of a house. Once thoroughly dry, the women strip the fibrous outer layer off, join each small piece together then bundle in a ball ready for weaving. The women then take the dried hemp to their wooden loom and weave the fibre through the bamboo reed. The bamboo reed determines the width of the cloth which is usually about 30cm. The finished cloth is woven into pieces around 8 metres long and is then ready to make clothing or waxed for traditional indigo dye.
Unlike many other hemp fabrics, the Hmong Hemp process is slow and sustainable and 100% chemical free. You will find imperfections in this hemp due to its raw, vintage nature.
This fabric is not for everyone however. It’s for those of you who wish to connect to earth with no harsh chemicals or spiritual barriers. This hemp is something truly unique and should be treated with a lot of love. It is virtually impossible to find materials that have not been chemically enhanced, have not caused environmental impact and have come directly from the native hands who grow the seeds. The Vintage Hemp Collection is extremely minimal as we have to collect this fabric from hill tribes, design and sew around the imperfections. As the width of the cloth is small, we must join a variety of pieces together to make a garment. This process is slow, raw and beautiful and is what makes each piece so unique.
May you be conscious of the imperfections and markings in these pieces and connect to your women, your tribe when wearing. We hope to find more Hmong Hemp in our future travels as to be able to create clothing directly from earth and share with the world, makes our hearts happy!