Dressing with nettles is an idea that does not lack spice. This project is that of Velcorex-Matières Françaises, an Alsatian group from France that owns several textile companies. This weed could revolutionize the fabric industry. Requiring little water, pesticides or maintenance, it creates a piece of fabric as strong and as ecological.

‘Nettle is the new cotton’ and there is no doubt for this Alsatian textile group that presented its first clothes 100% nettle eco-friendly.

Dressing with nettles is an idea that does not lack spice. This project is that of Velcorex-Matières Françaises, an Alsatian group that owns several textile companies. This weed could revolutionize the fabric industry. Requiring little water, pesticides or maintenance, it creates a fabric as strong as ecological.

Used to offer luxurious fabrics such as velvet and silk for high-end brands, Velcorex-Matières has decided to invest in its future and that of the environment with its own brand of 100% nettle clothing. Denim jackets and trousers, the brand puts on the timeless to start.

But using this plant, which is wrongly considered a weed, is actually not new. Before the arrival of cotton, nettle, just like hemp and flax, was commonly used to make fabric. The French brand wants to put clothes made of nettles up to date. Pierre Schmitt, his boss, explains their approach:

‘Today to make cotton jeans, you need between 5,000 and 10,000 liters of water. I think most people do not realize it. According to specialists, between 30 and 50% of the pesticides on the planet are used for growing cotton. ‘

The brand took advantage of Salon Première Vision to present its first 100% nettle pants. And contrary to what one might think, the fabric does not sting, since it is the stems and not the leaves that are used during its manufacture. But before seeing a mass production of these eco-friendly trousers, we still need to find nettle producers and recreate the trades of transformation of the plant into cloth. Anyway, Pierre Schmitt is very optimistic, as he plans to market his first clothes in nettle next year.

After the t-shirts in hemp, or in plastic bottles, nettle fabric: the proof, if it were necessary, that the fashion industry is beginning to realize the importance of reviewing its production methods.