The story of Hempje is a personal one

For over 12 years i’ve been working in fashion. I enjoyed being a sales rep, a store manager, a stylist and a model until the moment i realized i had my own view on things. Fashion is an interesting business. It’s glamour, it’s luxury, it’s beauty. And then it’s hard work, strong competition and – worst case scenerio – exploiting people and polluting our planet.

Hempje is my journey of creating an honest collection of basics and making it with my own hands, using the best material, local production and an artisanal dyeing process. I hope you’ll enjoy, Clarent Savi

Premium hemp fabric. Your body will love it. Photo by Lizzy Ann

Hemp

Soft & strong, your body will love it

Hemp is a wonderful plant. It can be cultivated almost everywhere, grows like a weed, needs little water and doesn’t require pesticides.
In only 4 months it may grow up to 4 meters high and it cleans the air and improves the soil while doing so. The purposes of hemp are in fact unlimited. There is hardly anything you can’t make from it.

When used for clothing hemp has a number of advantages. First of all it’s thermodynamic. This means it’s warm in winter and cool in summer. Due to the poreus nature of the fibre it has great breathability and is very water absorbent. Hemp is UV-resistant. This means it doesn’t break down in sunlight like some other fibres. Then it’s anti-bacterial and hypo-allergenic. Hemp seems to be absorbing body odours better than most materials.

Last but not least hemp is equally strong and comfortable. Those who wear hemp know that it gets softer and softer the more you wear it and stays in shape extremely well.

Try and feel the difference.

MISSION
Crafting a timeless fashion collection of premium hemp garments focussing on local, social and ecological responsible production.

Premium basics

Never out of stock, never out of style

Do you really need a new T-shirt every month?
I noticed i have my favorites that i wear all the time and i tried to break down what defines a favorite:

Comfort, fit, style, quality and story. Do you agree?

Hempje is designed to be a collection of favorites for you to enjoy forever. The styles won’t change, you can still buy them in 10 years from now. The colors will vary with the seasons to match your mood and color your life. The fit is North European; slim and long. Both comfort and strength are provided by the premium hemp fabric.

Finally, every Hempje is manufactured locally and in the best possible way so you can feel good when you look good.

Browse the collection

Premium unisex basics never out of stock. Photo by Lizzy Ann
Premium unisex basics never out of stock. Photo by Lizzy Ann

Premium basics

Never out of stock, never out of style

Do you really need a new T-shirt every month?
I noticed i have my favorites that i wear all the time and i tried to break down what defines a favorite:

Comfort, fit, style, quality and story. Do you agree?

Hempje is designed to be a collection of favorites for you to enjoy forever. The styles won’t change, you can still buy them in 10 years from now. The colors will vary with the seasons to match your mood and color your life. The fit is North European; slim and long. Both comfort and strength are provided by the premium hemp fabric.

Finally, every Hempje is manufactured locally and in the best possible way so you can feel good when you look good.

VISION
Building a global fashion brand of premium hemp products to improve peoples lives and our environment while inspiring people to act responsibly and live playfully.
Made in Amsterdam. Local design cutting & sewing. Photo by Lizzy Ann

Local production

Design, cutting & sewing in The Netherlands

To prove that clothing production can be done locally i decided on making the Hempjes myself. The first investment was an industrial coverstitch machine. When i was offered a working space things went fast. Now the production line consists of 4 sewing machines and a large cutting table.

Every single Hempje is made out of the same semi-bleached fabric. The color is off white and i decided to call it blank canvas. (The word canvas comes from the word ‘chanvre’, French for hemp)

This fabric is a blend of 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton and the finest hemp jersey available.

First i draw and cut the patterns, then i sew them together using 4 different machines. To make Hempje fit for garment dyeing the yarn used for stitching  is organic cotton.

A TRIBUTE TO TWO OUTCASTS
The most controversial plant and the most undervalued garment brought together in this timeless collection of premium hemp basics.

Custom colors

Garment dyed by hand

Part 2 of the production process is the garment dyeing. Hand dyeing garments means extra work and extra fun. Instead of using ready made colors i decided to make my own. By combining and experimenting with the primary colors – red, blue & yellow – i have created a ton of color recipes and many more to come. In fact, sky is the limit when you start mixing colors. The deeper you go in, the more beautiful the colors that come out.

The dye used is fibre reactive. This is a so-called low impact dye which means it has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as eco-friendly. It contains no toxic chemicals, is applied at low temperature and has a high fixation rate. The brighter and richer colors and excellent colorfast properties make it a great alternative to conventional dyeing.

Incorporating the craft of dyeing into the production process of Hempje has many benefits. It provides great creative possibilities while minimizing stock and waste at the same time.

Custom colors, garment dyed by hand. Photo by Lizzy Ann
Custom colors, garment dyed by hand. Photo by Lizzy Ann

Custom colors

Garment dyed by hand

Part 2 of the production process is the garment dyeing. Hand dyeing garments means extra work and extra fun. Instead of using ready made colors i decided to make my own. By combining and experimenting with the primary colors – red, blue & yellow – i have created a ton of color recipes and many more to come. In fact, sky is the limit when you start mixing colors. The deeper you go in, the more beautiful the colors that come out.

The dye used is fibre reactive. This is a so-called low impact dye which means it has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as eco-friendly. It contains no toxic chemicals, is applied at low temperature and has a high fixation rate. The brighter and richer colors and excellent colorfast properties make it a great alternative to conventional dyeing.

Incorporating the craft of dyeing into the production process of Hempje has many benefits. It provides great creative possibilities while minimizing stock and waste at the same time.

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