The Colombian sustainable fashion brand, Stardog Loungewear, became the first of its kind in the country to arrive at Macy's, the largest department store in the world, where it plans to sell more than 2 million dollars in 2022. Its apparel is made with the smallest environmental footprint, as it exclusively uses safe non-toxic, and sustainable materials such as 100% Organic hemp, organic cotton, Tencel, and recycled coffee. Its apparel stands out in the international market for making garments with fibers extracted from a variety of cannabis called hemp, which has become especially popular in the United States. According to the latest Data Bridge report, the global market is expected to grow at a rate of 49.9% between 2021 and 2028. Paz Morales is behind the Colombian fashion brand Stardog Loungewear. The head designer and creative director, born in Bogota, Colombia, and raised in Costa Rica, has always found in nature the starting point for the creative process. Now, she lives in New York, from where she has built the 'slow fashion' proposal of Stardog Loungewear, the new brand that arrives with a proposal based on the use of Hemp, a sustainable fiber extracted from non-psychoactive cannabis. Its fresh and current vision brings insight and excellent analysis of textile and fashion trends; both sustainable and sustainable. Paz has managed to apply it in the inaugural collection of Stardog Loungewear, where pieces such as Interstellar Hodies, Stargazer Joggers or Startonic Shoes with coffee soles stand out.
On the brand’s website, it explains how hemp is the world's most sustainable natural fiber, requiring minimal water in its production and no fertilizers or pesticides. "It requires a quarter of the land needed for cotton, which translates into less deforestation. Additionally, it is carbon negative: that is, it is a crop that absorbs two tons of carbon per hectare instead of emitting it," they explained. Based on these attributes, the brand designed garments designed for the new lifestyle that was born with the pandemic, with comfortable and versatile garments. "We are proud to enter Macy's and be the first hemp brand to be marketed by them. The market is demanding sustainable, avant-garde proposals made under the highest quality standards. Macy's is very rigorous in the process to enter their category of sustainable brands, companies must be certified by Transparency-One and have certificates such as GOTS and the Organic Content Standard, where in addition, each batch of fabrics must be certified.
About Hemp Hemp is a weed so it grows with rainwater and no pesticides, making it environmentally sustainable. While trees take years to grow, hemp can be grown in a few months. Every part of the plant can be used, reducing the amount of waste from production. Fibers are made from the stalk’s outer bast and used for textile manufacturing. The weaving process can be done organically through a mechanical process that requires no chemicals. As it’s the longest, softest, and most resistant fiber of vegetable origin, so much so that, in the past, it was used to measure the quality of other fibers. Because hemp is an annual crop that grows in as little as four months after planting, it is an ideal candidate for crop rotation. In addition, it returns 60 to 70% of nutrients to the soil, regenerating the soil and leaving it in an optimal state for re-growing. As if all this were not enough, it repels some pests naturally, so it does not require the same chemical treatments as other crops. People of Leisure and Wama are examples of other brands that are harnessing the power of hemp to relieve some of the pressure of wasting the planet's resources.