INTERVIEW: Dr. Andre West is Professor of Textile and Attire Expertise and Administration at North Carolina State College’s Wilson Faculty of Textiles, the place he additionally serves as Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE). A number one voice within the push for sustainable textile techniques, Dr. West focuses on circularity, innovation, and the mixing of pure fibers—together with industrial hemp—into trendy manufacturing and design schooling. By means of ZTE, he works on the intersection of academia and business to advance scalable, eco-conscious options in fiber improvement, processing, and end-use functions.
HempToday: You’ve lengthy championed pure fibers in sustainable design. What qualities make hemp uniquely fitted to Twenty first-century textile innovation?
Dr. Andre West: Hemp is a exceptional fiber with a wealthy historical past spanning hundreds of years. What excites me most is its sustainability—it makes use of much less water, thrives in various situations, and, maybe most charmingly, it really will get extra comfy and exquisite with age. Hemp’s resilience and eco-friendly profile make it a standout selection for the way forward for textiles.
HT: What historic or structural challenges are holding again the event of a hemp textile business within the U.S.?
AW: Within the U.S., we’re primarily constructing a hemp business from scratch, since prohibition meant we by no means actually had one to start with. Legalization in 2018 gave us a place to begin, however we’d already misplaced a lot of our conventional textile infrastructure. Attempting to launch a brand new business—particularly one as advanced as hemp textiles—on prime of that could be a actual problem.
HT: What’s a breakthrough you’re exploring, and what would profitable commercialization of it imply for the hemp business and sustainable trend extra broadly?
AW: One main breakthrough is spinning 100% hemp, which we obtain by working with longer fiber lengths—about 4 inches, or 100 mm. We’ve invested in specialised tools to course of this size and have had success utilizing a inexperienced degumming course of, avoiding harsh chemical compounds to maintain issues actually sustainable. Much more revolutionary, we’re now experimenting with skipping the degumming step altogether. This might make processing quicker, easier, and cheaper. If profitable, it might elevate hemp from a commodity—typically blended with cotton—to an opulent fiber that may stand alone or be blended with different sustainable supplies like wool, linen, and even pineapple fiber.
Meet Dr. Andre West at subsequent month’s NIHC International Industrial Hemp Fiber Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Register now!
HT: Out of your vantage level at ZTE, how has the business’s curiosity in hemp developed over the previous 5 years? Are we nonetheless within the exploratory section, or shifting towards implementation?
AW: We’re lastly seeing each exploration and actual implementation. It’s taken about 5 years to succeed in this level, with vital funding and analysis alongside the best way. The momentum is constructing, and it’s thrilling to witness the shift from curiosity to motion.
HT: Hemp textiles typically discover themselves caught between conventional pure fiber markets and high-tech innovation sectors. The place do you see the best first business potential rising—workwear, trend, technical textiles, or elsewhere?
AW: The secret’s to focus on the “low-hanging fruit” and perceive the place hemp’s strengths give it an edge. Hemp is of course stronger and extra sturdy than cotton, so workwear and efficiency clothes—particularly within the outside market—are perfect beginning factors. There’s no must compete head-to-head with cotton; as an alternative, we must always concentrate on areas the place hemp’s distinctive properties shine.
HT: What position ought to public coverage and institutional funding play in accelerating hemp’s position in U.S. textiles, particularly in comparison with assist for cotton or synthetics?
AW: Investing sooner or later is crucial. We all know that present textile manufacturing is harming the planet, and hemp is one in all a number of promising options. States like North Carolina are well-positioned to develop hemp at scale, given their agricultural and textile heritage. Legalization has helped, however we’d like clear, proactive public coverage—one thing Europe is main on. Within the U.S., change typically occurs step by step, however for hemp to actually take off, we’ll want deliberate coverage assist.
HT: What are a few of the key technical hurdles in working with hemp fiber, and the way is your crew addressing them by means of analysis and collaboration?
AW: It’s essential to know that hemp isn’t a cure-all—it has each strengths and limitations in textile processing. There’s a studying curve, and it takes analysis to navigate the technical challenges. By collaborating with different researchers, we’re tackling these hurdles one after the other, whether or not it’s degumming, spin finishes, or utilizing pure dyes to reinforce the ultimate product.
HT: What single change—technological, regulatory, or cultural—would make the most important distinction in advancing hemp as a mainstream textile fiber within the U.S.?
AW: Manufacturers want to acknowledge that home manufacturing of hemp textiles isn’t just viable, however a wise, long-term technique to satisfy shopper demand. That shift in mindset might be transformative for the business.
HT: What sorts of scholars are enrolling at Wilson Faculty as we speak? Are you seeing a shift in motivations or values in comparison with a decade in the past? To what extent are as we speak’s college students arriving with sustainability already prime of thoughts?
AW: Immediately’s college students are deeply conscious of points like local weather change and world warming—many expertise what I’d name “eco-anxiety.” Our job is to empower them with the data and abilities to be proactive, to allow them to use their schooling to make a constructive influence on the planet and society.
HT: What sorts of business professionals are partaking with Wilson Faculty and ZTE packages as we speak? Are they in search of retraining, collaboration, or one thing else?
AW: ZTE is a pacesetter in coaching professionals, even these with little or no textile background. For the business to maneuver ahead—not simply in hemp, however throughout the board—we’d like well-educated staff. Whether or not they’re coming straight from Wilson Faculty or transitioning into textiles later of their careers, ZTE provides the coaching wanted to develop the following technology of business leaders.
