Free hemp textile symposium brings art, fashion and Indigenous knowledge to New York

Choose Your Change will host a free three-day FARM TO FABRIC Hemp Textile and Fashion Symposium Sept. 18-20 in Brooklyn and on Governors Island. The event connects hemp farming, textile innovation, contemporary art and fashion to showcase how natural fibers could support a more sustainable supply chain.

Why it matters: - The symposium links hemp agriculture, textile manufacturing, art and fashion in one public event. - Organizers are framing hemp as part of a more sustainable and resilient textile economy. - The program brings Indigenous knowledge and contemporary industry together in New York.

What happened: - Choose Your Change is presenting the FARM TO FABRIC Hemp Textile and Fashion Symposium as a free, multi-day event Sept. 18-20. - The first two days will take place at Brooklyn Peace Center in Brooklyn. - The weekend will finish Sept. 20 on Governors Island with the Julian Magazine Hemp Issue Release and Fashion Presentation. - Admission is free with registration, and space is limited. - Event details and VIP tickets are available on the Choose Your Change website.

The details: - The Brooklyn program covers hemp’s path from agriculture and traditional fiber practices to contemporary textiles, design, manufacturing, art and fashion. - Sessions will focus on farming, regenerative agriculture, fiber processing, textile development, design and manufacturing. - Live demonstrations will feature the Tuscarora Nation, KINGDOM / weavearth and the NC State Wilson College of Textiles. - The demonstrations are designed to connect traditional knowledge, material innovation, textile development and contemporary applications. - The Brooklyn portion also includes an exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Marie Pervenche with more than 20 original ink works made on raw hemp textile. - The exhibition, RAW — INK ON HEMP, is curated by Connie Byun of 3RD ETHOS GALLERY. - The show includes RAW — Ink on Hemp, Series No. 1 and INDIFFERENCE — Ink on Hemp, Series No. 2, plus selected works from WOMAN — Ink on Linen. - The Governors Island presentation is being brought by the National Industrial Hemp Council in collaboration with Choose Your Change. - The presentation will feature garments and collections made with hemp and hemp-blend textiles. - The special hemp-focused issue of Julian Magazine will be released at the Governors Island event. - The magazine documents the people, organizations, artists, designers and partnerships behind the farm-to-fabric movement.

Between the lines: - The event is built as both a showcase and a networking platform for New York’s creative community and the hemp supply chain. - The mix of farming, research, art and runway presentation suggests an effort to broaden hemp’s appeal beyond industrial uses. - The structure also ties finished fashion back to the farms, mills, makers and designers that make the supply chain work.

What's next: - The symposium runs Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Brooklyn Peace Center. - The Governors Island event runs Sunday, Sept. 20, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Organizers expect attendees to move from raw material education to completed garments and publication release over the three days.

The bottom line: - FARM TO FABRIC is positioning hemp as a material, cultural practice and design opportunity all at once.