THTC (The Hemp Trading Company) is an ethically driven underground clothing label, specialising in environmentally friendly, politically conscious street wear made of hemp,

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

organic cotton Organic cotton is generally defined as cotton that is grown organically in subtropical countries such as India, Turkey, China, and parts of the USA from non- genetically modified plants, and without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemical ...

and other sustainable fabrics. It was founded by brothers Drew (Dru) and Gav Lawson, and Dan Sodegren in 1999.

Origins

The Hemp Trading Company had its origins in Hempology,a "hemp awareness group" at

University of Hull , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

. Offshoots of the group appeared on other campuses, helping consolidate the brand's clubbing and music image. In 1999, the founders, brothers Dru and Gav Lawson and their friend, Dan Sodergren, then set up their business in Bristol and London.

Company history

In 2008, Jeremy Smith, editor of ''

The Ecologist ''The Ecologist'' is a British environmental journal, then magazine, that was published from 1970 to 2009. Founded by Edward Goldsmith, it addressed a wide range of environmental subjects and promoted an ecological systems thinking approach thr ...

'' said that when he started at the magazine in 2001, the general idea of fashionable clothing that was also environmentally friendly was "laughable," but that the Lawson brothers had proved this wrong. He is quoted as saying: "While everyone else seemed to be making ill fitting and deeply unflattering clothes that wouldn't make it into a Littlewoods catalogue, they were – years before anyone else that I knew of – actually responding to what the young people with whom they remain so connected wanted to be seen wearing. Now of course every

Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

Sienna Sienna (from it, terra di Siena, meaning "Siena earth") is an earth pigment containing iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural state, it is yellowish brown and is called raw sienna. When heated, it becomes a reddish brown and is call ...

and

Lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

wants to be seen in green, but for me it will always be THTC that got there first and did and said it best." In addition to hemp, THTC clothing uses

and

. The firm networked widely with DJs, MCs, musicians and celebrities, to build up their business. In 2006 they were shortlisted for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' annual Ethical Fashion Awards partly due to the support of

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

, who was on the judging panel. By 2008 they had produced merchandise for the bands

Beardyman Darren Alexander Foreman (born 14 May 1982), better known as Beardyman, is a British multivocalist, musician and comedian from London known for his beatboxing skills and use of live looping. Early life After studying at Queen Elizabeth's Gra ...

Morcheeba Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced ten regula ...

and

Braintax Joe Christie, better known as Braintax, is a British hip hop artist and producer. Christie had also recorded or appeared under the pseudonyms Brando Flux and Joey Brains. All of his releases were on his own record label, Low Life Records. Origi ...

, widening their customer reach and increasing awareness of sustainable design. By 2011, the company had an annual turnover of £100,000 and a London-based team of nine staff, and their clothing had been worn by people as diverse as the performance poet

Benjamin Zephaniah Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958)Gregory, Andy (2002), ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, p. 562. . is a British writer and dub poet. He was included in ''The Times'' list of Britain's top 50 post-wa ...

, the American rap group De La Soul, and the actor Brad Pitt. In 2012 THTC collaborated with the

Soil Association The Soil Association is a British registered charity. The organisation activities include campaigning – against intensive farming, for local purchasing and public education on nutrition – and certification of organic foods. It was establ ...

Carbon Trust The Carbon Trust was developed and launched in 1999-2001 as part of the development of the Climate Change Levy (CCL), a tax on business energy use that still operates today. The Carbon Trust was originally funded by around £50m of tax revenue ge ...

and

Fair Wear Foundation Fair Wear Foundation (Fair Wear) is an independent multi-stakeholder organisation that works with garment brands, garment workers and industry influencers to improve labour conditions in garment factories. Receiving the Fair Wear stamp of approv ...

to produce a line of shirts made from 100% organic, hand-harvested cotton, specifically produced using

wind power Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically ...

and stated to have a carbon footprint that was 90% smaller than that of more typically produced equivalents. Some of the earliest THTC designs were explicitly political, such as a slogan reading " George Bush &

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

, family butchers (est.1989)" This combination of political activism, urban music, and street art is central to the brand, which also produces clothing with prints designed by street artists such as the British

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

artist Mau Mau.

References

;Further reading * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hemp Trading Company Companies based in the London Borough of Ealing Hemp companies Clothing companies based in London Retail companies established in 1999 British companies established in 1999 1999 in cannabis Clothing companies of England Clothing retailers of England 1999 establishments in England Clothing companies established in 1999

Origins

Company history

See also

References