GIMMI · Materials and place
Italian artisanal hemp: from field to garment
Growing hemp in the Vicenza area, processing the fibre, spinning and hand weaving: this is the journey of GIMMI’s artisanal hemp project. We follow the material from seed to fabric, through to garment making in our Sovizzo workshop.
Here we show the stages and the people behind this work. It is one specific part of our textile research: our collection also includes century-old hemp and garments made with fabrics selected from suppliers.
GIMMI’s different hemp supply chains
A garment containing hemp does not mean that its fibre always follows the same journey. Distinguishing between materials is part of our approach to transparency.
Artisanal hemp
The project shown on this page: growing in the Vicenza area, fibre processing, artisanal spinning and hand weaving.
Explore the artisanal hemp garmentsCentury-old hemp
A different journey, rooted in historical fibre preserved by our family and in the memory of hemp craftsmanship.
Explore our century-old hempSelected fabrics
For other garments we use fabrics purchased from suppliers. Each product page states its composition: we do not attribute the local cultivation shown here to these fabrics.
Explore the work in GIMMI’s workshop
1. Growing hemp in the Vicenza area
The journey begins with sowing Carmagnola hemp. We follow the plants as they grow in the Vicenza area and harvest the raw material for our artisanal project.
The field is where we first get to know the fibre: observing the plant and working with its stems allows us to connect the fabric to its origin.
2. Harvesting and retting: from stem to fibre
After harvesting, the stems are retted in water. Retting helps separate the fibre from the other parts of the stem; further processing and combing prepare the material for spinning.
This stage connects agriculture with textile making. The video shows the transition from the plant to the fibre used in our project.
3. Artisanal spinning: fibre becomes yarn
The fibre is prepared and spun by hand. Its strands are brought together and twisted to form the yarn that will be used in weaving.
This work requires close attention to the material: the yarn retains the variations of the fibre and the character of the manual process.
4. Hand weaving with Tessitura Colombina
The yarn continues its journey at Tessitura Colombina. On wooden looms dating from the mid-nineteenth century, warp and weft are interlaced to create fabric.
Hand weaving is a separate stage from garment making: it creates the material that will later be cut and sewn in the GIMMI workshop.
5. Cutting and sewing in our Sovizzo workshop
The fabric arrives at our workshop in Sovizzo, in the province of Vicenza. Here it takes shape through cutting, sewing and finishing.
Garments from the artisanal hemp project follow this specific journey, from the field to hand-worked fabric. For other products, composition and characteristics are given on their individual product pages.
GimmiJeans
Handwoven Artisan Hemp and Silk Waistcoat
GimmiJeans
Handwoven Artisan Hemp Kimono
Discover more about hemp and its supply chain
From the stages documented in our videos to reflections on place: three articles to explore the material and our work further.
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Hemp grown in Vicenza: territory, rotation, and CO₂ absorption
The Vicenza area and the connection between growing hemp and textile production.
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A supply chain that can be touched
The places, people and processes that make up a supply chain.
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Where our garments are born
The network of craftspeople between Vicenza and Treviso and the value of working locally.
Let’s talk about materials and collaboration
If you work in research, textiles or education and would like to know more about the project, get in touch. Tell us about your field and your proposal: we can discuss the artisanal process documented on this page.
Contact us about a collaboration