Colour, minimal impact, and hemp: Flora explored the potential

At European Spinning Group, we believe in young talent and sustainable innovation. Flora Debruyne, a final-year Textile Technology student at HoGent, interned with us and worked on her bachelor's thesis on hemp fibres. With a clear focus on colour and ecology, she explored the possibilities of hemp in our spinning mill. Her dedication and results were rewarded with high distinction.

Efficient, sustainable, and versatile

Hemp is making a strong comeback. The fibre is robust, breathable, and resistant to sunlight. It is a sustainable, local raw material that grows quickly without much water or pesticides.
A perfect fibre, therefore, to test its potential in our spinning mill. Still, processing it is not straightforward. The fibre is complex and requires insight at every step of the production process. Flora investigated how hemp can be combined with other fibres and how we can produce a stable and visually attractive yarn with it.

Colour as added value

Colour is an essential part of this project. Flora developed a colour collection in which sustainability and the unique character of hemp are central. For this, she worked with dope dyed viscose and TENCEL™. These fibres bring not only colour, but also comfort, shine and are produced in an ecologically responsible way.

Advantages of dope dyed viscose:

• The colour is introduced into the fibre during production of that fibre
• No water consumption for wet dyeing
• Less chemical waste
• Excellent fastnesses such as colour fastness
• High colour stability over multiple production runs
• Soft, supple fibre with natural shine

Advantages of TENCEL™ (lyocell):

• Made from wood pulp from sustainably managed forests
• Produced in a 99% closed-loop system
• Exceptionally low water and energy consumption
• High moisture absorption and breathability
• Fully biodegradable

The combination with hemp results in a balanced yarn: sustainable and aesthetically strong.

Creative and forward-thinking

We are proud of Flora's contribution. She combined creativity and critical thinking in a study that is both practical and forward-looking. Her work highlights how materials that may not be obvious at first can find a place in an industrial context. It is a collection with enormous growth potential.

Want to know more?

Curious about the possibilities of hemp yarns or our Happy Hemp colour collection?
→ Feel free to contact our sales department for more info.