Tuesday 30 December 2014

Ethical Brand Research

thtc.co.uk -


Currently ranked the UK’s most ethical menswear brand, THTC is an ethically-driven clothing label. We produce eco-friendly and politically conscious street wear, made from hemp, carbon-neutral organic cotton, and recycled salvage plastic fibres.

Planted by the Lawson brothers back in 1999, watered with urban music, fed with love of life and street culture, THTC has grown into an influential global street-wear brand, and an online community hub, capitalising on the mood of a disenchanted youth.

THTC has been the vanguard of a crusade to bring hemp into the realm of credible, urban street-wear. We also produce private-label runs for businesses and events, produce and distribute several clothing ranges of t-shirts, hoodies, shopping bags and sweaters, all of which are certified by The Fair Wear Foundation.

We are also proud of an illustrious history of upcycling, turning past ranges into original new styles, and collaborating with companies such as Good One and My Only One.

We’ve won a number of awards, accolades and accreditations over the years. Learn more.


Why Hemp?
Although much of the current range of our clothing is made from organic cotton or salvages recycled fabrics (rPET and other industrial cutoffs), we originally founded THTC to promote and sell industrial hemp products – it’s in our name, ya know! But why go to all the trouble of using a material that the British Government (and others) has marginalised, and sought to keep tightly regulated?

Hemp Facts

  • Hemp is the most diverse and environmentally sound crop that can be grown, with thousands of uses
  • Henry Ford built one of his first cars from hemp plastic, and Rudolph Diesel built an engine to run on hemp fuel
  • Hemp can be grown in practically any climate, and needs no pesticides to be grown
  • Hemp can be grown with 10% the water of conventional cotton
  • All products that are derived from timber or petroleum can be sustainably derived from hemp, including plastic
  • Until its prohibition hemp was the world’s most traded commodity
  • Growing hemp for fuel absorbs Carbon Dioxide and helps combat climate change.
  • Burning hemp for fuel produces very little Carbon Dioxide and practically no Sulphur, unlike petroleum
  • Growing hemp would allow nations worldwide to grow clean fuel, renewable medicines, paper, food and plastics
  • Jesus was said to use cannabis oil to anoint and heal the crippled, and original copies of the Bible were printed on hemp paper
  • Hemp can produce 10 times more methanol than corn.
  • Trees cut down to make paper take 50 to 500 years to grow, while hemp can be cultivated in as little as 100 days and can yield 4 times more paper over a 20 year period.


Over the past 15 years, we have worked with some very talented designs, including Mau Mau, Herse, Fybe One, Devolution Designs, Carrie Reichardt, Gibla74, Seleka, Sam Coxen, Low Class, Oberon, Owen Tozer, Reeps One, Simon J, I Am Fingerfood, and Philip Ryder – to name but a few!

Our designs are influenced by global issues, activism, hemp, music and environmentalism. The only real design brief that we stick to is not to preach from up high – we use humor and satire to start conversations, and inspire debate around the things we feel are very important – climate change, sustainability, fair working wages, social mobility and equity of wealth.



Benji Lowclass describes his art as “…work that represents the underdogs, a different way of thinking, and the mindset that life isn’t about being successful but being happy”. His eclectic style of illustrations and prints draw from his skate and graffiti background, perfect for THTC.


http://freshonthenet.co.uk/2014/10/shaodow/