Long-fibre hemp: the next linen?
A pilot long-fibre hemp collection from the Hemp4Circularity project. Why hemp could become a summer staple.
Hemp grows fast with little water and few inputs, but most hemp is processed as short fibre, which limits it to rougher fabrics. Long-fibre hemp, processed more like flax for linen, can be spun into finer, smoother yarns.
Where it was seen
At Milano Unica in July 2026, the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp opened its first Hemp Lab, with a European Hemp Textile Inspiration Book and a pilot long-fibre hemp collection from Hemp4Circularity, an Interreg North-West Europe project (2023–2026) with about €2.3 million of EU funding.
How it works
The project runs pilots across the chain: cultivation, primary processing, data-driven farming, spinning and fabric production, to build a local long-fibre hemp supply in North-West Europe.
What it means for Indian brands
Hemp handles heat well and has a linen-like look, ideal for Indian summers. It is still a pilot, so volumes and prices are not yet commercial; expect it first in premium shirting, suiting and home textiles.
What to do now
- Watch hemp-linen blends as the first accessible step.
- Request swatches from linen suppliers already sampling hemp.
- Plan a small capsule for SS28 or later, when supply grows.
Sources: Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, Hemp4Circularity.
