We take up our series of interesting shops Belgium has to offer. This time we stop in Leuven. In a time where ecological shopping and bio products seem to be everywhere on the market, this shop is a must check. Hempmade is already for a couple of years busy with making people more aware of the products they buy. If you haven't heard about this shop...read the article and go check it out yourself!
Shop History
Hempmade was established with the determinate motivation that hemp is one of todays most promising plants. There are already over 25000 different processing possibilities and since the beginning of our history the plant is being cultivated for different goals. Hemp is good for the environment and the rural economy, and offers at the same time a sustainable alternative source for paper fibers, textile and other products. Because these countless applications and benefits don't get the attention they deserve, Peter De Herdt (the shop owner) decided to open his own hemp shop during April 2006.
Since April 2009 we moved to a better and more spacious location in the Diestsestraat (Leuven). Because of that we were able to expand our offer and by doing that we can prove that ecological clothing can exist without having the mark of being 'goat wool socks' clothing.
Since April 2009 we moved to a better and more spacious location in the Diestsestraat (Leuven). Because of that we were able to expand our offer and by doing that we can prove that ecological clothing can exist without having the mark of being 'goat wool socks' clothing.
Brands
We sell Kanabeach Biologik, a French surfing brand that started with an eco-line. Out of environmental concerns they started to make clothing out of hemp (the warmer the earth gets, the less places you can find for snowboarding). In France Kanabeach is already known, and now Belgium seems to have discovered the brand.Hemp Hoodlamb, a brand from Amsterdam, started originally with thick coats that fanatic surfers could wear right after a dive into the cold seawater. Now they have a full clothing line for men and women. ?They are also associated with a couple of famous artists like Snoop Dogg, Kyteman, Bryan Gee, MC Funsta, MC Ben The Verse, Dj Logic, Yohimbe Brothers, The Opposites, MC Skibadee, DJ Aki, GMB, Raekwon, Big Mike, Envy Walbangaz, Evidence (Dilated Peoples), Michael Franti, Le Clic....
Nomads Hemp Wear: A Canadian brand with a real feminine and colorful line.
Kuyichi: A Dutch brand with a contemporary line for men and women. Famous for their jeans.
Monkee Genes: They make eco & fair jeans in different shapes, colors and sizes.
Satori Movement: A skate brand out of the USA with a big line of eco-clothing.
Soon in the shop: Livity Outernational, also a skate brand of the USA with cool accessories.
Apart from that our offer is complimented by more basic stuff like Hemp Braintree and HempAge.
Next to our clothing and accessories we sell bodycare products and food. This to show how many things can be made out of hemp. (The Hemp Line, Extravaganja, Hanf & Natur)
Leuven
Since Peter was born here this was a logical step for him. We would like to open a shop in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent or Hasselt. At this moment we are the only hemp shop in Belgium and because of the small eco-clothing offers in those cities a lot of customers ask us if we are not planning to open a shop in their town. At this moment we put all our energy in our current projects, but we keep an open mind to opening a new shop, who knows maybe in the nearby future...
Target group
Our target group is wide. A lot of our clothing works with young people, but also older people find what they want. We want to reach as much people as possible, that's why we moved to a better location. That way we can reach people that like the clothing and take the ecological side as an extra. This way of working is important for us, it’s like this that we might make a difference and make people more aware of their power as a consumer. Otherwise we would only reach people that are already busy with durable living etc...Why visit?
First because our offer is varied and we sell brands that you can't find anywhere else in Belgium. A lot of those brands are often already famous in other countries and are sold in cult shops.We understand that a lot of people think eco-clothing is too expensive. But we try to make it affordable for everybody and to give information that makes it clear why a t-shirts simply can not cost 6 euro in a durable ecological production process, where people are paid an honest allowance. We see the consumption of our clothing as an investment: the clothes last much longer, and if you have any complaints you are always welcome to come back so we can find a solution.
Future
At this moment we are busy with the distribution of a couple of brands in Belgium and Europe. We want to keep doing this and represent ecological brands in conventional shops. We are working as well to enlarge the offer in our online shop.Peter would like to focus as well on the growth of hemp for food. Because the government doesn’t make a difference between hemp with THC and without, the production of hemp food is badly enough boycott by our government and forbidden. A couple of pressure groups are working hard to adapt the law (also Delhaize is supporting this, they sell hemp oil in their shops), that way we could start to brew a hemp beer in cooperation with a local beer brewer (we already did this 2 years ago, but couldn't sell it because of that law). We can only encourage the sale of locale products, those are more ecological, fresher and cheaper. What makes it into a win win for everybody
.Contact
info@hempmade.bewww.hempmade.be
016 30 99 98
Address
HempmadeDiestsestraat 145
3000 Leuven
our online store:
www.hempmade.be
Open
mon-sat: 10h-18h
thursday till 20h
banner + last picture were made by melika
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