hessnatur enlists designer Miguel Adrover as Creative Director

26 Apr '08

4 min read

His themed collections, always inspired by the people and cultures he sees in New York and when traveling, are unique for their authentic interpretation of everyday dress.

For hessnatur, Adrover has seized the opportunity to give back to the earth and to use fashion as an expression of his dedication to creating a cleaner, greener, more respectful way of living.

"For me, the work I'm doing for hessnatur is greater than fashion. It's not about trend -- far from it -- it's about showing the world how apparel can actually help workers, and not harm the environment," said Adrover. "It's an incredibly inspiring company and I'm proud to have found my home in this role."

The genesis of hessnatur is both simple and unique. When Heinz Hess, an environmentalist, had a son, he was determined to provide his newborn with the organic clothing he couldn't find anywhere.

So he started his own clothing company, hessnatur. Although it was only a little over 30 years ago, synthetic clothing had almost supplanted natural, organic clothing and so finding manufacturers was very difficult.

When he did find them, he discovered that many natural textiles were chemically treated, destroying the health of the fibers. But with a handful of dedicated suppliers, he began to offer beautifully crafted and completely pure clothing.

After initiating the world's first organic cotton farming project, hessnatur followed it with similar projects in Peru, Senegal, Turkey and Burkina Faso.

The cotton is grown and cultivated totally free of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, anything that harms the people who wear the cotton or the people who produce it.

Beyond cotton, hessnatur works with partners who develop organic linen and wool, adhering to the same strict measures as the cotton. hessnatur also works with the world's only organic silk project.

In 2002, hessnatur set the standard for humane labor conditions. With the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Fair Wear Foundation, hessnatur developed an innovative system for humane production.

In 2005, hessnatur was the first German company to be certified by the Fair Wear Foundation. Recently, hessnatur embarked on a partnership with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, and his Grameen Foundation, supporting its stellar work in fighting poverty.

hessnatur is introducing organic manufacturing processes to the Grameen Knitwear Project, and is paying a bonus above fair purchase price for the goods, with the funds going directly to the Grameen Foundation.

According to Wolf Luedge, "You have a saying in America that beauty comes from within. At hessnatur we think it also comes from without: without harm to the earth and the people who live on it."

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