Ambitious Belgian brand HNST Studio debuts global webstore

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 21, 2023

Belgium’s HNST Studio, a circular fashion label, has rebranded and is making its global debut with the launch of its online store. The denim-centric brand has unveiled the webstore to coincide with the launch of its SS23 core collection and the company said it’s extending its reach “while continuing to provide holistically ethical wardrobe essentials for modern men and women”. 

The collection can now be shopped internationally at HNST.com as well as at a number of luxury retailers worldwide.

The five-year-old label was founded on a “commitment to bettering the textile industry’s relationship with the natural world by both lessening its ecological footprint and promoting collaborative values that contribute to a better tomorrow”. 

It says that it’s doing this via “cutting-edge innovation, breakthrough fabrication, and expectational design precision” to welcome “a new era of contemporary luxury wherein ethics and quality co-exist harmoniously with personal style”.
 
“In all we do, HNST leads with transparency and a constant consciousness for the world around us,” said CEO Martijn Swolfs. “We acknowledge the gaps in our industry’s sustainable progress and view it as an opportunity to think creatively, create a community, and contribute innovative solutions to a global issue that will affect us all. Through our products and practices, we aim to further circular fashion’s potential at a true luxury-level.”

So what does all that mean in practice? The company’s signature denim is produced using three-quarters less carbon than the industry standard. It uses discarded denim as raw material, and brings its signature denim to life using 62% recycled cotton, 0% plastic, and 95% less water. It also has a small-batch approach to producing an evergreen core collection of durable staples, plus there’ll be exclusive seasonal collections starting from AW23, “thus negating the risk of over-production”.

Its core men’s and women’s collections both feature five denim styles, and after fabric upgrades, “each core style is now stronger than ever, boasting an enhanced combination of HNST’s classic vintage feel and high-end texture”.

The company has backing from a number of European innovation venture capital firms and has its eyes set on the global market. 

Business innovator and fashion industry expert Anne Chapelle (the former Ann Demeulemeester and Haider Ackermann chief), who sits on its board, said: “Globally, our customer is more discerning than ever and with sustainability and innovation a priority, we are hopeful that the momentum we are building will resonate worldwide.”