Novel clean-tech hemp launches
10/07/2025
Hemp fibres, like linen ones, need to be separated from the stalks to be used in textiles. This separation process, known as degumming, usually involves harsh chemicals. Renaissance Fiber has developed a biomimetic method inspired by natural conditions in blackwater estuaries, that “returns the water to the watershed as it is naturally found in river ecosystems,” Inside Denim has been told.
The tee-shirt prototype is made from cottonised hemp using the company’s ‘Ecologically Invisible’ degumming technology, which it said is also lower cost than conventional methods.
“This is a response to supply chain volatility and sourcing risks brought on by tariffs and extreme weather events, which have impacted every major brand. We are building the infrastructure for a more secure and sustainable global textile industry, right here in the US,” commented Renaissance Fiber CEO Daniel Yohannes.
The company has received grants from the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council and was a finalist for the Biomimicry Ray of Hope Prize. It has supplied fibre to brands in the likes of Patagonia and has developed functional fabrics for the Department of Defence in partnerships with yarn spinners and mills.
Image courtesy of Renaissance Fiber
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