Page 52 - September-October-2020

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Monforts denim mills move
German Review hemp into the mainstream
Cone Denim Sweet Leaf jeans. © Cone Denim
While this is a myth that originated in the
counterculture of the 1960s, hemp is without doubt
the fibre of the moment for the denim industry.
At the second Kingpins24 virtual denim show that
was broadcast from New York on June 23rd and
24th, the sustainable benefits of hemp fibre were
referenced by many Monforts customers who are
now including it in their collections, including AGI
Denim, Artistic Milliners, Black Peony, Calik, Cone
Denim, Naveena Denim Mills (NDM) and Orta.
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Cottonization, is necessary to make the bre suitable for spinning, because compared to cotton, hemp is longer, Cone Denim has recently launched its Sweet
sti er, and less exible. © Cone Denim Leaf collection featuring hemp. © Cone Denim
Monforts Head of Denim Hans Wroblowski at the new different and it even adds a bit of a unique hand, so state because we were not sure how the wet spun
CYD pilot line at the Monforts ATC in Mönchengladbach,
Germany combined with its sustainable credentials we are yarn would react in the dyeing, but I’m happy to say
proud to be bringing the Sweet Leaf collection to the we have had success in this respect and are now
market.” able to provide one hundred per cent indigo dyed
hemp denim.”
with much of its manufacturing now in Mexico – and “Differentiation is the key in the highly-competitive German Review
US supply chain
Environmental benefits
Cone is currently sourcing its hemp from France, but
with the introduction of the US Farm Bill in 2018
denim industry and we have assisted our customers
with trials and optimised processing parameters for a
which has legalised the growing of legal hemp – is
range of different fibres, including hemp, both at our
exploring the possibility of investing in the US supply
There is an urban legend
chain.
Advanced Technology Centre in Germany and at
their own mills around the world,” says Hans
that hemp canvas was used
Wroblowski, Monforts Head of Denim. “Given the
“With US hemp we’re really at the R&D phase,” Little
to make the very first pair of
environmental benefits of hemp, and the
emphasises. “It’s a unique crop, so coming up with
Levi’s jeans
We’ve experimented with different types of seed and
world, the interest in it now comes as no surprise. We
At the end of 2019,
various methods of decortication.”
have the technologies and know-how to help our
Naveena Denim Karachi, the right stalk to provide the right fibre is challenging. liberalisation of its cultivation in many parts of the
customers to fully maximise their hemp denims at all
introduced fabrics featuring Decortication, he explains, is the mechanical removal post-weaving stages of production.”
of the outside layer of the hemp stalk to useable fibre
up to 51% hemp content in on the inside. A second process, cottonization, is Monforts has a dominant position in the field of
blends with Tencel and necessary to make the fibre suitable for spinning, denim finishing with its well proven Montex stenters.
recycled polyester and this because compared to cotton, hemp is longer, stiffer, It has been enjoying further recent success with its
Eco Line concept based on two key technology
and less flexible.
year has developed the first advances – the Eco Applicator and the Thermo
100% hemp denims 100% success Stretch.
At the end of 2019, Naveena (NDM), headquartered
in Karachi, introduced fabrics featuring up to 51% The latest Monforts innovation for denim is the CYD
“Hemp is an easy to grow fibre which requires no hemp content in blends with Tencel and recycled yarn dyeing system. This technology is based on the
irrigation, no fertilizers, no herbicides and no polyester and this year has developed the first 100% effective and established dyeing process for denim
chemicals,” says Allan Little, Director of Product hemp denims. fabrics that is now being applied for yarn dyeing.
Development for Cone Denim, which has recently
launched its Sweet Leaf collection featuring the fibre. “The response to the fabrics we showed last year The CYD system also integrates new functions and
“Significantly, it also uses fifty per cent or even less was incredible and we were looking forward to the processes into the weaving preparation processes –
water than cotton in cultivation.” It can also bring response to this latest development – which spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly
some new aesthetics to denim too, he adds. everyone was asking for – at the Kingpins show in beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – to increase
Amsterdam, which unfortunately was unable to go quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity.
“Hemp has a unique colour and adds a different cast ahead,” says NDM’s Director of Marketing Rashid A full CYD line is now available for trials at the
to our indigo, the drape and texture of the fabrics is
Iqbal. “We produced initial samples in an undyed company’s Advanced Technology Centre.
September/October 2020