We design sustainable clothing to be worn and loved everyday . Our own label 'Hempcat' aims to be un-usual, comfortable and timeless design in durable fabrics which don't cost the planet. Created to be enjoyed on many different occasions for long time.
We do love colours in all its beautiful shades. They are one way of expressing your individuality (and lifting your mood!)
Everybody is unique. So why not wear it on the outside? Colour your everyday.
WHO WE ARE
Textura was created by us: Ian Pigg and Sinja Streuper.
We met as traders in the field. Ian lived in Hong Kong and China and Sinja in several African countries for about 10 years. Our lives and businesses have been merged since 2010.
But we couldn't have been in this place without the help of many others: firstly the people who produce our lovely goodies and then our committed part-timers, supporting family and the 'fan club' of regulars who share our appreciation and keep us going
WHY SELLING WHAT WE DO
Passionate about where we went, what we did and whom we met on our personal journeys; we wanted to keep those special connections going by sourcing and selling from those faraway places.
Where Ian travelled and lived in the nineties (Yunnan) we still work together with the same tailoring family and some of their former trainees. As he speaks enough Chinese to get by, we can work together with small community- or family businesses and individual artisans, The healthy living conditions in this beautiful mountainous area have attracted a lot of creative people from the whole of China. People looking for a different way of life. 'Making' here is a far cry from the mass producing factory setting at the east coast.
Sinja has always been interested in designing/creating and making her own (and others) clothes, since she was in her teens, She does the design and/or co-design of our 'Hempcat' clothing with the tailors. A good match!
More recently the effects of the relentless pressure on our planet through over-consumption has become obvious. To live sustainably and trying to lessen our impact, is the only way we, as a species, can survive. And everybody has to chip in, do this to their best ability!
Being able to supply people with practical clothing which is made to last, made from sustainable fabric, is what we are passionate about. The fabric has been trialled and tested for years. With great success as we have many happy customers.
FAIR ALL AROUND
We believe in a fairer world. Having travelled and/or lived in places with difficult living conditions and human suffering made us more aware of our responsibility in the way the world is organised. It made us think about ways we can make a positive difference, even if it is a small one.
So we try to source as much as possible from small entrepreneurs. Directly. As we believe this serves all.
We pay mutually arranged fair prices and when we order we will always pay a deposit towards the materials, enabling our partners to produce without risk to their livelihood. Most of our clothes are made in cottage industry by people working from home.
Anybody working with us should get a fair deal, away and at home too. We charge fair prices for our clothing to make it as affordable as possible and we are a living wage employer.
meet (some of) the makers:
Nettle clothing
This is Chen Laban, mother of our tailors and mentor for a many. Officially retired, but still very active and dedicated.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Our core product is clothing made from the nettle plant. Ramie (as is the official name) is commonly used in Yunnan, the south-west of China. It has impressive eco credentials and its use deserves to be re-kindled. All over the world people have been (and are) using varieties of plant fibres to make garments. Nettle and hemp were harvested by our ancestors for that purpose. They don't need water or pesticides to grow in abundance and offer a lot of benefits for the wider environment, insect diversity and our health.
However due to the initial stiffness of nettle fabric, it never gained popularity. Woven nettle fibre had to be worn a long time to soften up (friction does it) So it was eagerly replaced by cotton as this became widely available. However, modern ways have helped to overcome this initial discomfort with new clean technologies and nettle fabric is making a come back.
The fabric is soft to the touch, strong, resilient with a slight silky lustre, skin-friendly and breathable. It keeps its shape well and doesn't pick up natural smells. And washing? Less and easily .
What is there not to like?
In general we are always looking for eco-friendly and sustainable ways to do business. We try to decrease our carbon footprint, re-use and recycle packaging and use green energy where we can.
