Raymond Lifestyle Limited, India's leading textile, apparel and retail brand, is bringing hemp into the Premium Shirting Fabrics category with the launch of a new collection of Hemp Shirting fabrics, developed through the Company's expertise in fibre engineering, design and finishing. Raymond has spent decades introducing innovations in fabric in India to fibres, blends and finishes before the market asked for them. Hemp is the latest, and in some ways the oldest - a fibre used in textiles for centuries, yet one that has never held a serious position in Indian premium shirting fabrics.

Rather than being a single fabric, Raymond has developed four constructions - Pure Hemp, Hemp with Tencel, Hemp with Cotton and Hemp with Bamboo - each tuned to a different requirement. Pure hemp offers bright colours, durability and breathability, softening with every wash. Blended with Tencel, it gains drape and a next-to-skin finish; with Cotton, familiarity and everyday breathability; with Bamboo, a moisture-wicking, luxurious hand feel. The intent is to give the fibre range rather than novelty, so that it can be specified across formal and smart-casual dressing, rather than confined to a single occasion.

Commenting on the launch of this new innovation, Anupam Dikshit, Chief Business Officer Shirting Business, Raymond Lifestyle Limited, said: "Sustainability in textiles is no longer a matter of positioning. Garment brands have moved from voluntary sustainability commitments to material-mix targets and in Raymond, as a leader in the fabric industry, there is an increased commitment towards sustainability for conservation of resources and protection of the environment. We manufacture fabric for international & domestic fashion brands as well as the premium domestic fabric market. Hemp needs significantly less water than conventional cotton, in a world where there is severe water constrains, grows rapidly and does so without dependence on pesticides or fertilisers. For a company that has thrived in this industry for over a century, sustainability is a way of life and we take our position as a leader very seriously in Innovation, Quality & Sustainability."

Apparel brands both domestic and international have adopted sustainability commitments more strongly and for Raymond, sustainability is increasingly important, not only in the fibres used but also in manufacturing practices. The Indian domestic fabric market also appreciates Hemp for its look and feel with the value-added blends and it is well appreciated by the younger generation also. Hemp's breathable micro-structure offers natural thermoregulation through the Indian summer, and the fibre resists degradation, improving with wear rather than deteriorating - a proposition that sits naturally with a brand built on performance rather than volume. Available in a range of contemporary colours, patterns and designs, the collection is recently launched in the trade channels.