How Fivehundred BC is Pushing a New Wave of Hemp Clothing in Fashion
When you picture hemp clothing, it is likely you imagine free spirits and rough textiles akin to a burlap sack. But this is not how Fivehundred BC Founder, Chris Karalis, wants you to think about it.
Instead, Karalis is hoping to remove the stigma around hemp and teach people that contemporary design and sustainable fabrics can co-exist.
Interview by Sasha Wardrop
Chris Karalis’ eyes were first opened to the power of hemp fabric during his first year of his Fashion Degree. Not only does hemp production require less than a third of the water needed for cotton and yields 220% more fibre. The crop doesn’t require as many pesticides, effectively reducing water contamination and adjacent soil acidification.
After learning about the fabric’s strengths and environmental benefits, Karalis couldn’t understand why hemp was not more popular in the fashion industry. Upon posing this question to his tutor the simple answer he received there was still too much stigma around it to be mainstream.
A couple of years and a job in a leading fashion retailer later, Karalis, dissatisfied with the status quo of the industry, could no longer ignore the potential of hemp.
This is when Fivehundred BC was born.
Combining contemporary design, classic silhouettes, and hemp, Fivehundred BC is creating a new wave of hemp clothing in the fashion industry. The brand’s first collection of classic silhouettes for men and women have been so meticulously designed with a focus on contemporary style that it is sure to put to bed any preconceived perceptions that hemp fabric is reserved for bohemian fashion.
It does not stop there, Fivehundred BC is dedicated to lessening the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. Their goal is to be a Net-Zero Carbon emissions company by 2030 and they are well on their way to this. 100% of Fivehundred BC’s apparel is sourced from a carbon-neutral fabric mill, their office and distribution centre are carbon neutral and they also work with carbon neutral delivery services.
On top of this, their closed-loop system is something to be admired. All garments purchased from the Fivehundred BC website can be returned once they have reached the end of their lifecycle, just scan the QR code on the garment label of your item to return and you will receive 25% off your next purchase.
Through Fivehundred BC, Karalis also hopes to be an industry leader, inspiring other companies, small and large to discover the benefits of organic hemp and adopt the under-utilised resource.
“We are not reinventing the wheel as hemp clothing is nothing new, we are aiming to inspire other fashion brands to adopt this under-utilised resource … If we influence mainstream retailers to incorporate hemp into their range then I’d feel we really achieved something worthwhile”
Having seen the collection in person, I can confidently say that you will want to get your hands Fivehundred BC’s beautifully soft and perfectly tailored pieces. Head to their website to find out more about their hemp clothing.
