Fashion for Good Launches Beyond50 Denim for Hemp Integration

Project combines cottonised hemp and green chemistry to create sustainable denim with performance on par with cotton.

Fashion for Good, in collaboration with global brands and innovators, has unveiled Beyond50 Denim, a project aimed at overcoming barriers to hemp adoption in denim by combining SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ cottonised hemp fibres with FIBRE52™’s soft-handfeel chemistry solutions.

Fashion for Good, alongside BESTSELLER, C&A, PDS Limited, Reformation, and Target, has introduced Beyond50 Denim: Combining Cottonised Hemp and Green Chemistry. The initiative focuses on accelerating the adoption of hemp as a sustainable alternative to conventional cotton in denim production. By integrating SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ cottonised hemp fibres with FIBRE52™’s proprietary chemistry formulations, the project aims to prove that hemp-based denim can rival or even surpass cotton in performance, comfort, and visual appeal.

The global denim market is expected to surpass USD 115 billion by 2029, yet its reliance on traditional cotton brings significant environmental concerns. Cotton cultivation, while valued for its softness and cost efficiency, requires high water usage, intensive pesticides, and resource-heavy production practices, creating a substantial environmental footprint and social challenges across the supply chain.

Hemp offers a more climate-resilient alternative with lower resource requirements and benefits for soil health. However, adoption in denim has been limited, as fabrics containing more than 20% hemp often struggle to meet the handfeel and aesthetic expectations of consumers. This limitation forces compromises between performance, cost, and sustainability, restricting hemp’s mainstream potential in denim.

To overcome these challenges, Fashion for Good launched Beyond50 Denim, bringing together brands (BESTSELLER, C&A, Reformation, PDS Limited, Target), innovators (SEFF, FIBRE52™), and manufacturers (Bossa, Turkey; Nice Denim, Bangladesh) to test scalable solutions.

“Our goal at Reformation is to drive innovative solutions that can transform fashion. Beyond50 Denim is an opportunity to test hemp and green chemistry, validate outcomes, and open the door to a more sustainable future for denim,” said Carrie Freiman Parry, Senior Director of Sustainability at Reformation.

The project validates the synergy of two breakthrough technologies:

• SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ technology converts raw hemp into refined, cotton-like fibres, making spinning and integration easier.
• FIBRE52™’s chemistry solution imparts a soft handfeel to cellulosic fabrics.

“Hemp’s slow adoption in denim highlights how industry habits can inhibit innovation,” stated Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good. “Beyond50 Denim demonstrates that combining complementary innovations can tackle long-standing challenges and unlock new possibilities for sustainable fashion.”

By strategically merging these technologies, the project aims to raise hemp content in denim beyond 50% while maintaining performance parity with cotton, showcasing hemp as a viable, sustainable option for the global denim industry.

Learn more about Beyond50 Denim here.