Hemp Lifestyle The Story of Rich and Textured Clothing

Interview by Melinda Bie

Marcel Hemp opened as a natural fiber clothing store on Santa Barbara’s State Street in 1989. Store owner Marcel Monsivais featured clothing made from cottons, linens, and silks when he was introduced to hemp. “I thought it was such an interesting fiber,” recalls Marcel. “I made a trip to Thailand where I really fell in love with the fabric and slowly, little by little, I started to realize the other benefits of it.” Hemp fabric offers UV protection as well as the best natural wicking ones. Many cyclists and athletes prefer hemp’s anti-microbial and anti-bacterial qualities, which synthetic workout gear doesn’t have. Plus, hemp is biodegradable.

Officially the oldest hemp store in the country, Marcel Hemp’s presence has raised a few eyebrows over the years. Marcel has used the confusion of hemp equaling drug use as an opportunity for education. It’s about sustainability, UV protection, wicking, and anti-bacterial benefits. Marcel also educates the wannabe hemp farmers visiting his shop. “I try to let them know they should have a target of who they are going to grow for – don’t just grow it and try to figure out what you’re going to do with it. Are you going to grow it for a paper source? A thread or yarn source?” Marcel explains. “It’s a rather involved process from plant to fiber and a potential grower needs to be aware of this process prior to diving into planting.”

The hemp products sold in Marcel Hemp are sourced internationally in a fair trade market. Some of the production is in Santa Barbara, some in Los Angeles, as well as 12 different overseas countries. “We used to use 100% hemp fiber, but it proved to be just a little too rough in texture, so we now do a blend of cotton and hemp,” notes Marcel. “The benefit of the mix though is that we have an instantly soft fabric, very close to a linen quality without the ‘wrinkle factor’ that linen has.”

Hemp isn’t a cost-effective fabric. As America starts growing and processing more of it, that may change. So much already has changed since Marcel Hemp opened its doors 31 years ago.

“I’ve had customers return with their kids, and then grandkids and on. I recently received a photo of five generations all wearing our clothing,” says Marcel. “My favorite thing about hemp fabric is the character of the fabric, the look and feel, it’s a very rich, textural look.”

Marcel Hemp is located at 531 State Street in Santa Barbara. The phone number is (805) 963-8387. The website is marcelhemp.com.