Hempsmith Clothing Co. promotes sustainability in the fashion industry through stylish hemp-based clothing

Hempsmith, a local hemp clothing business run by NC State Wilson College of Textiles graduate Arlo Estill, started out as a joke. Arlo Estill’s brother, Zafer Estill, planted the seeds of the business in high school when he embroidered a cannabis leaf onto a hemp T-shirt, playing on designs from companies like Ralph Lauren. 

Zafer Estill recognized the compatibility of industrial hemp as a strong, much more sustainable alternative to plastic fibers used for clothing manufacturing. His initial idea later blossomed into an innovative clothing company.