Starting from scratch_ textile hemp follows in linen's footsteps
Villepinte (France) - From suits and jeans to flip-flops_ hemp_ a natural fibre used in textiles for centuries before falling into disuse_ is making a comeback. Its advocates hope it will follow the same path in fashion as linen.
At the Première Vision trade fair in Villepinte_ near Paris_ the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (ALCE) stand displays various hemp garments alongside traditional ropes. While the appearance may seem austere at first_ the feel is surprisingly pleasant.
For the first time_ ALCE has decided to spotlight this fibre. France is the leading European producer with 23_000 hectares_ but only 1_650 are dedicated to textiles. The rest is used for paper_ oil_ and building insulation. This is a drop in the ocean compared to linen's 176_000 hectares_ 90 percent of which are used by the textile industry.
And yet_ Marie-Emmanuelle Belzung_ general delegate of the alliance_ told AFP: “When I arrived 19 years ago_ there was no linen anywhere. Not on the Fashion Week catwalks_ nor in high street stores.”
Supply chain
“Innovation and creativity have elevated linen_ along with its sustainable positioning_” she explained. “Two approaches worked to refine the fibre. One was washed linen_ which gave it a _cool_ feel_ far from the rougher _grandmother's sheets_ image. The other was knitwear_ which allowed for the creation of T-shirts_ now found everywhere from Uniqlo to Monoprix.”
While linen accounts for 0.5 percent of global textile fibre production_ hemp “is not even quantifiable_” Julie Pariset_ innovation and CSR director at ALCE_ told AFP.
According to an October 2025 analysis by Market Research Future (MRFR)_ this niche is set to expand. The global hemp clothing market_ valued at nearly three billion dollars in 2024_ is projected to reach 8.5 billion dollars by 2035_ representing an annual growth of almost 10 percent.
However_ “it_s not enough to just press a button to get textile hemp; an entire supply chain needs to be built” and then sustained_ stated Pariset_ showing a book filled with samples_ including jerseys with a crêpe-like feel.
Some brands have already taken the plunge_ such as the American company Levi's_ which produces jeans from a hemp and cotton blend_ and Tommy Hilfiger_ which has just released 100 percent hemp flip-flops.
Favourable regulation
In the US and Canada_ growth is driven by “increasing consumer awareness of sustainable fashion_ coupled with favourable regulations for hemp cultivation_” noted MRFR.
Bart Depourcq_ head of the Dutch company Van de Bilt_ which specialises in the scutching (separating fibres from the wood and bark) of flax and hemp_ is convinced. “The markets for these two plants are different but will not compete with each other_” he told AFP. “They are complementary.”
“Does hemp have the same potential as linen? We don't know_ but we believe in it; we just need to give it time_” maintained Belzung.
For Catherine Basquin_ a textile consultant at the Nelly Rodi consulting agency_ “hemp concretely illustrates the current _back to basics_ trend. Even if it is not yet commonly used in fashion_ it addresses questions about textile sourcing_ ethics_ and eco-design.”
She added_ speaking to AFP_ that “it will need to prove it has moved far beyond its rustic _potato sack_ image” and its association with cannabis_ which belongs to the same species.
One significant obstacle remains: the price. At Ralph Lauren_ a pair of 100 percent hemp trousers sells for 395 euros_ while a pure hemp blouse from HempAge costs 72 euros. “That_s the common ground between linen and hemp_” admitted Depourcq. “It will never be cheap.”