Fashion for Good, in partnership with global brands BESTSELLER, C&A, PDS Limited, Reformation and Target, has announced the launch of Beyond50 Denim: Combining Cottonised Hemp and Green Chemistry. The initiative aims to accelerate the use of hemp as a sustainable alternative to conventional cotton in denim manufacturing.
The project integrates two pioneering innovations: SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ technology, which transforms raw hemp into cotton-like fibres, and FIBRE52™’s proprietary chemistry, which imparts a softer handfeel to cellulosic fabrics. By combining these advances, the initiative seeks to prove that hemp-based denim can match, or even outperform, conventional cotton in both aesthetics and functionality.
The global denim market is projected to surpass US $ 115 billion by 2029. However, its reliance on conventionally cultivated cotton, a crop associated with significant water and pesticide use, has raised environmental and social concerns. Hemp, with its lower resource requirements and soil health benefits, offers a promising alternative, though its use in denim has historically been limited to under 20% due to challenges with texture and consumer appeal.
According to Reformation’s Senior Director of Sustainability, Carrie Freiman Parry, the project represents an opportunity to “test, validate and help unlock solutions that could make denim more sustainable for the future.”
Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good, added that hemp’s limited uptake highlights the structural barriers that restrict innovation. She noted that Beyond50 Denim demonstrates how combining fibre technology with green chemistry can address long-standing hurdles in denim production.
Through this collaboration, participating brands, innovators SEFF and FIBRE52™, and manufacturers Bossa (Turkey) and Nice Denim (Bangladesh) will work to push hemp content in denim fabrics beyond 50%, while maintaining performance, comfort and consumer acceptance. The project aims to establish hemp as a viable mainstream fibre and a credible alternative to cotton in denim.
