Hereco

The message of the project

Brand experts claim that sustainability does not exist. Today, the fashion industry is linked to nearly everything wrong with the world—deforestation, droughts, pesticide dependency, soil degradation, water pollution, social inequality, and forced labour, to name a few. With HERECO, the first regenerative hemp textile production is being built in Ukraine, utilising all available resources and potential to become a leader in fair-trade regenerative textile production. Imagine a garment made entirely by hand, requiring no water, chemicals, or land treatment. Imagine a garment that positively impacts its makers, improves the land, and creates better futures for the people within the supply chains. HERECO produces such garments.

The focus is on the technique of regenerative hemp handweaving because this material is truly unique and luxurious. Its properties, quality, and appearance are what designers and consumers are seeking today but cannot find. The production is acknowledged to be difficult, slow, and expensive, but there is beauty in the handmade process. To achieve some form of sustainability in the industry, it is necessary to look at supply chains from a different perspective, using resources available locally rather than outsourcing problems elsewhere.

The idea behind the project

The story of HERECO began years ago with the discovery of stocks of hand-loomed Ukrainian hemp. The methods used by ancestors to produce textiles address some of the biggest social and environmental issues the textile industry faces today. Traditionally, hemp was grown regeneratively at the farm level, processed by hand into yarns, and woven into material. This process required no additional resources other than rain, sun, and skill. This material is possibly as sustainable as textiles can get, generating no pollution or resource abuse, and requiring no energy or water in the process.

Since this technique was practised in the Ukrainian countryside until relatively recently, HERECO is building communities to restore this production process step by step. This effort aims to reintroduce regenerative agriculture methods, generate income streams in remote areas, and support artisan communities. With HERECO, a fair-trade, regenerative textile production is being established in Ukraine.