Our Story

Hempire Collective was founded by Trimayne Meader, a fashion designer who recognised a deep disconnect between the beauty of design and the wastefulness of mainstream fashion. Leaving the industry behind, she followed a new path in Northern NSW, studying Permaculture and Natural Medicine, and immersing herself in earth-based practices that honour natural cycles, sustainability, and women’s health.

During this transition, Trimayne became aware of how synthetic fabrics and chemical dyes—common in mainstream underwear—can disrupt the body’s natural balance. She envisioned a better way: underwear made from natural fibres that support women’s wellbeing, allowing the skin and body to breathe as nature intended.

Blending her design background with her passion for health and sustainability, she began the journey of crafting pieces that embody both comfort and consciousness—celebrating the connection between nature’s gifts, hemp, and the female form. In 2019, while travelling through India, Nepal, and China, Trimayne explored traditional textile villages and studied the ancient cultivation of hemp. She discovered that these centuries-old methods not only nurture the land but also produce fibres that are naturally antibacterial, breathable, and kind to the skin—qualities perfectly aligned with feminine health and the planet’s wellbeing.

These timeless practices continue to inspire Hempire Collective’s philosophy: to create garments that breathe with the body, honour the Earth, and restore harmony between fashion, nature, and humanity.

The Mission

We’re committed to crafting sustainable, timeless fashion that seamlessly fits into various aspects of life—be it yoga, work, or relaxation. Our designs aim to be your everyday essentials, exuding simplicity and comfort. Wearing our garments empowers individuals by supporting a brand dedicated to hemp’s future and transforming the fashion landscape.

Our ambition is to establish a solar-powered hemp textile facility in Australia, eventually producing our own hemp fabric. This initiative extends to fellow hemp enthusiasts seeking Australian-made materials. By monitoring production onshore, we significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

We prioritize educating and inspiring others about hemp’s vast potential, particularly in Australia, where its land and climate can truly impact our planet positively. Hemp stands as a solution to the global textile crisis, addressing the fashion industry’s massive pollution. We’re driven by the excitement for hemp’s potential, envisioning its revolutionary impact across various industries, not just fashion. Join us on this transformative journey!

Supply Chain

Our fabric originates from Heilongjiang, China, known as the hemp textile hub. We’re privileged to collaborate with proficient experts dedicated to advancing sustainable textile practices.

After harvesting, the hemp’s long fibers undergo a process called “retting,” separating them from the plant’s bark. These fibers are then spun into thread and knitted with GOTS Certified Organic Cotton and 5% spandex for flexibility. We aim to transition to recycled spandex for a more sustainable fabric and closed-loop system, aligning with our startup’s vision for eco-friendly materials.

The resulting hemp organic cotton fabric is crafted by a small, family-run garment maker, a partnership we’ve nurtured since 2019. Our commitment to carbon neutrality drives us to minimize environmental impact, including choosing a manufacturer near our fabric source in Hangzhou, China. Localizing production helps reduce shipping distances, aligning with our goal to lower our carbon footprint at every production stage within our current capabilities.

All Natural

At Hempire Collective, we prioritize sustainability by utilizing locally sourced all-natural plant materials in Australia to create eco-friendly dyes for our intimates and environment. Our commitment to natural dyes ensures greater control over wastewater management, addressing the widespread issue of pollution caused by chemical dyeing in countries with lax environmental regulations and inadequate disposal infrastructure.

By keeping our dyeing process onshore in Australia and operating on a small scale, we not only craft each piece uniquely but also ensure safer, natural dyes that are gentler for both your intimates and the environment.

Sustainable Packaging

After dyeing our garments in Australia, we take steps to minimize our environmental impact by packaging them in recycled paper and using biodegradable post bags. Specifically, we utilize the comPOST Pack, a certified home compostable and fully biodegradable mailing satchel made partly from plants.

As a company deeply aware of our carbon footprint, we prioritize accountability and improvement. In early 2020, Better Packaging conducted a comprehensive carbon emissions audit, allowing us to measure and understand our impact. To go beyond neutrality, we now offset our emissions by 120%, embodying what it means to be ‘climate positive.’

Transparency

We’re committed to transparency, steering clear of greenwashing and openly sharing our journey. Through our extensive exploration within the fashion and hemp industries, we’ve realized both possibilities and limitations due to hemp’s evolving status as a textile and political factors. As we evolve, learn, and embrace advancing technologies, our aim remains fixed on reducing the fashion industry’s immense environmental impact.

While we aspire to have all production onshore in Australia, the current state of the country’s hemp textile industry doesn’t align with this vision. However, we’re passionate about propelling change and striving towards a more localized production model, continually adapting our business to enhance carbon neutrality.

Choosing hemp as a textile aligns us with a burgeoning sustainable industry, but its growth requires more support globally, especially in Australia. We’re dedicated to advocating for hemp, fostering awareness, and collaborating with local hemp farmers to eventually establish onshore production. Our goal is to create a closed-loop system for our brand in Australia when the industry and supply chain mature to facilitate it.

Ethical Suppliers

At present, we’re proud to collaborate with suppliers who prioritize fair treatment and uphold workers’ rights across their supply chains. Our firsthand visits to all factories in 2019 affirm that our manufacturers adhere to fair trade regulations.

Partnering with knowledgeable professionals in China’s hemp textile industry, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact. Our suppliers specializing in natural fibers and fabrics continually strive to reduce energy consumption, minimize toxic chemical usage, and closely monitor wastewater discharge to protect the environment. Ensuring safe and comfortable working environments for employees is a shared commitment.

As a small-scale brand, we’re grateful for the opportunity to work alongside these hemp industry experts, offering our unique vision of hemp intimates to the world. Every purchase of our hemp garments contributes to the solution, making you a part of the revolution toward ethical and sustainable fashion.

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    • We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Custodians of this land, their continuing connection to the land, rivers and sea. We honour the traditional custodians of the Bundjalung Nation of Northern NSW, Australia. We pay our respects and gratitude to the sacred culture, customs, traditions of the Elders past, present and emerging.