When we talk about the versatility of textile hemp, we cannot but think of textile hemp sheets. Although at first touch they may seem hard and uncomfortable, after a couple of washes and above all after a few minutes in contact with our skin, textile hemp sheets become very soft and above all comfortable, because they adapt to and regulate our body temperature. Result: less sweating, even on hot summer nights, more comfort and better rest.

Despite the clear benefits, in Italy, as well as abroad, there are not many companies producing hemp textile bed sheets. One company, ready to revolutionise the bedding industry and improve our sleep, is Casa Parini in Turin. I had the pleasure of interviewing Viola Stancati, the founder of Casa Parini, and to find out more about her goals, which are to enhance the family tradition by offering a product of the highest quality, and, above all, to create an ethical business that values each individual in the value chain.

HSM: How did you approach textile hemp?

CP: Before I got into hemp, I got into ecological and innovative fabrics. During my work in London, I was in constant contact with the big fashion brands that were starting to introduce more and more natural and ecological fibres into their collections, including hemp. It was only during my trip to California, however, that I was able to discover the softness of hemp and I immediately thought that it would be ideal as bed linen, thanks also to its beneficial properties, such as breathability and thermoregulation.

I then began to study the history of this fabric, and it was there that I realised that Italy had an important tradition in textile hemp, was one of the largest producers of it and, above all, produced the highest quality textile hemp. The problem, however, remained supply, as there is no hemp supply chain in Europe.

HSM: Indeed, China is definitely the leader in this market.

CP: Yes, but there is also a lot of prejudice towards China. Not everything produced in China is of low quality, on the contrary. There are very good companies that know how to process hemp yarn well, use green energy, have good contracts with workers and all the certifications. Before founding the Casa Parini brand, I evaluated several Asian, but also Indian, suppliers of hemp textiles, and I saw very sustainable realities. In fact, to produce the Casa Parini linen set, I rely on a very large and important supplier, which also supplies large, but above all sustainable, high fashion brands. Moreover, in China there are entire regions dedicated to hemp (the so-called 'black lands' - we talked about them here - ed), while we in Italy are still very far from local production and above all we cannot offer this quality of fibre.

HSM: Does the yarn you use for your linen collection come from China?

CP: Correct, the fabric comes from one of the largest and best known suppliers of Chinese hemp textiles, which also works with the big fashion houses, which have very high sustainability standards. The transformation of the fabric into sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases takes place in Italy, precisely in Turin.

This is a very special space, and one that is also very dear to me, which until the late 1980s housed my grandfather's tailoring workshop, which produced military uniforms. Subsequently, this space was for many years a restaurant and event space, but I had the pleasure of restoring it and accommodating a 'Colori Vivi' tailoring workshop. This is a social enterprise that allows women in difficulty to find a new career path by becoming professional seamstresses.

HSM: Casa Parini is much more than a tailoring space, it is a meeting place and a place that brings our origins to life.

CP: In my opinion, doing business makes sense if it also improves the well-being of others, if it has a social impact for all the people in the value chain. It is an ethical business that employs people and creates value for the whole community involved.: In my opinion, doing business makes sense if it also improves the well-being of others, if it has a social impact for all the people in the value chain. It is an ethical business that employs people and creates value for the whole community involved.

HSM: As far as supply is concerned, did you have any difficulties?

CP: Surely the minimum order quantity is a very important one, also for the Casa Parini brand to be innovative, and in fact, in this first collection, I decided to play a lot with pastel colours, such as honey, peach pink, sage, myrtle, lavender and the ever-present white as well, but I had to order large quantities, which for those who do business in Italy, still exposes you to a risk. I also considered buying only the raw fabric, so in natural colour, and then dyeing it in Italy. Unfortunately, there were problems with the quality of the fabric, so I had to abandon this product development.

However, all these decisions are also linked to the final price of the product. While I am in favour of making hemp fabric accessible to as many people as possible, artisanal and therefore handmade production has certain costs and is linked to an Italian tradition, which, where possible, it would be important to persevere with.

HSM: As sales channels instead?

CP: Casa Parini's E-commerce has been active for a year, but I decided to sell immediately on other platforms both in Italy and in Europe, with the aim of publicising the benefits of textile hemp and the Casa Parini brand. However, I notice that for now the best sales channel is word of mouth. Hemp fabric, despite being the most sustainable and environmentally friendly fabric, is still little known for its properties.

HSM: What are your plans for the future?

CP: We would like to expand the offer with other products for the home, while maintaining the same philosophy of innovative and environmentally friendly fabrics. For now my main market is B2C (business to consumer - ed.), but I am noticing a growing interest in hemp textiles also from B2B (business to business - ed.) sectors, especially on the hotel side, even small ones, but of a medium-high bracket that are very sustainability-oriented.