Eco Activist Fashion Pioneer

Katherine Hamnett
Check out this organic tee!
A reissue from 1983 - WOW!
100% organic cotton jersey.
Ethically and environmentally made in India
Printed in the UK with water-based, environmentally friendly printing inks.

It's not just tees for KH, there are beautiful 100% organic cotton dresses and men's fashions too.



But its her biography that most impressive!

Some hi-lights
1983
Joseph opens the Chinese Laundry selling KATHARINE HAMNETT washed cottons. Katharine awarded Cotton Designer of the Year. Launches first protest T-shirts; CHOOSE LIFE, WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR BAN NOW, PRESERVE THE RAINFORESTS, SAVE THE WORLD, SAVE THE WHALES, EDUCATION NOT MISSILES - designed to be copied, with the objective of effecting change by being seminal, using the excess media coverage that the label was receiving. T-shirts are sold with a percentage going to charity.

1989
Katharine Hamnett moves from own manufacturing base to licensing in Italy. Initiates research into impact of clothing and textile industry on the environment, which reveals an untenable situation. Discovers that conventional cotton agriculture is responsible for 10,000 deaths per annum from accidental pesticide poisoning (now 20,000) 1,000,000 deaths p.a. from long-term acute pesticide poisonings desertification and long-term contamination of the aquifer. Millions of people working in conditions worse than slavery. Decides to try to change the industry from within and launches Autumn/winter 'Clean up or die' collection.

2001
Directly after 9/11 Katherine produces a series of T-shirts against the invasion of Afghanistan; NO WAR, STOP AND THINK and LIFE IS SACRED.

flash to today

2006
The year is spent re-sourcing a completely new, certified ethical and environmental supply chain of top quality raw materials - manufacturing across the world from farmers to packaging and distribution.