The founders of Bad Seeds Italia made a very active decision in favor of this material in order to improve the image of the ancient crop and to provide a sustainable alternative to classic cotton. Speaking of founders: They are Barbara Trenti and her husband Andreas Geier. The duo was later expanded by Katrin Taylor Voss from Hamburg.
For centuries, hemp was “the global player” in the textile sector. We don’t want to invent anything new. We just want a centuries-old success story not to be forgotten.
And what is “bad” about that? The hemp seeds are actually Good Seeds. But unfortunately they are still (!) negatively stored in many people’s minds. “And “bad” suits us because we buck the trend in the fashion industry and don’t want to compromise”, says The Bad Seeds Company founder Barbara Trenti, explaining the origin of the label name.
Why hemp? There are tons of reasons for that.
Hemp is not only one of the oldest useful plants (textiles, ropes, oil, etc.). Hemp also hardly needs any pesticides and herbicides because it is not intensively cultivated. The uncomplicated crop is very resistant to pests and economical in terms of water requirements. In addition, hemp grows back quickly and is efficient in terms of land use. At the same time, hemp is considered to improve soil structure and soil fertility. It’s hard to believe but true: everything that can be made from oil could be made from hemp. In other words: hemp is an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. Unfortunately, this raw material lost its image in the 1930s. That should finally change again when it comes to brands like Bad Seeds.
Nothing is impossible: If there is no hemp for textile use in Italy, then it will be grown.
Unfortunately, there is still no hemp for the textile industry in Italy. That is why the brand obtains its textiles from Eastern Europe through a German wholesaler who has been selling natural materials for 30 years and who controls and guarantees their origin and the way they work. But that should change. The Bad Seeds Company has grown 82 hectares for research purposes and, together with a research institute, is trying to adapt the old Italian knowledge of textile hemp to today’s needs.
Sustainable, environmentally friendly and “sourced” in Europe.
The Bad Seeds Company clearly relies on the exclusive use of sustainable and environmentally friendly substances. In this case, these are hemp and recycled cotton that come from Europe. The advantage? Short delivery routes. They work exclusively with medium-sized companies in Italy, where the workforce has a family tradition. Personal contact is at the top of the agenda. That is why they know their tailors and knitters personally. Speaking of recycled cotton: An Italian company produces it with little energy and water from old jeans, which are shredded and processed into new yarn. The Bad Seeds Company uses this denim yarn to produce the 2ndLife knitwear collection in a small knitting in Lecce. The jeans are sewn in a factory in the Molise region. The rest of the collection is made in Neumarkt’s own tailor’s shop, because Laura has many years of experience in sewing natural materials such as hemp, linen and nettle fabrics.
When it comes to transparency, personal contact is at the top of the Italian brand’s agenda.
Good to know: Not all raw materials used are certified. For Bad Seeds Italia, certifications count when they make sense. The Bad Seeds Company is PETA APPROVED VEGAN. The headquarter of the manufacture and flagship store “BSC-Italia” is in Neumarkt.
More about Bad Seeds Italia. Click here
© Ester Suave Photography
