HEMPEA is hemp textiles from the fells and forests of Lapland
Roaming in nature has always been an important part of my daily life. It's hard to imagine a life without the surrounding forests, silence, clean water and fresh air.
When I first got to know hemp fabric and how ecological it is, I wondered why it's not more available to people. That's how I got the business idea of somehow using hemp and giving people the opportunity to use this wonderful material. After several fabric and product testing I ended up in bed linen and towels, where the softness, durability and comfort of the fabric comes best alive.
How it all started?
I was living in Germany and working with start-ups in the medical field. I admired the passion and enthusiasm of the young entrepreneurs. I started dreaming of a company of my own. At the same time I Ionged for more quiet and peaceful lifestyle back home in Lapland, Finland. I moved back to Finland and developed the business idea for a few years. Until in HEMPEA was born in 2017. In entrepreneurship I do things as feels natural to me and the company values are the same as my personal values. With my products I want to pass on kindness and peace, the same that nature provides us with. In addition to nature and planet Earth I value and respect people and their wellbeing.
All natural
Authenticity is a vital part of both the materials and my way of working. Hemp is a nature friendly material, which is farmed without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Hemp is a modest plant that grows well in the North too. Its cultivation improves soil quality and the strong roots prevent erosion. Our hemp comes from Romania, where it's processed and spinned into yarn as well as weaved into fabric without chemicals, using only traditional mechanical methods.
That's why hemp fabric is just perfect for natural, gentle HEMPEA world.
My goal is to be open about the ways of working and production, so just ask, if there's anything on your mind.
Carefully from close-by
To me responsible production means straigthforward partnerships without several intermediates and partnering and production as close by as possible. This way it's easier to monitor and develop the working conditions. Responsibility means safe working conditions and fair salary to all those persons who take part of HEMPEA production.
We get the hemp fabric as undyed, beautiful beige, the natural color of hemp. The fabrics are dyed in Finland according to oeko-tex standards (exluding white double bed duvet cover which is bleached using oeko-tex standard in Romania). Our prints fabrics are printed in Finland too. The whole collection is sewn here in Ivalon in a small atelier or here in our own HEMPEA studio. HEMPEA products have been granted with Key flag mark, which is a sign of production in Finland.
Simply beautiful
Our core of design is in items that endure time and use. The collection doesn't change with seasons but the classical models and colors stay from season to season. New items are launched slowly, when it's their time. All HEMPEA items fit together and you can combine your new and old ones over the years.
When designing I take into account durability, not just in the material but also in simplicity so that there are no breaking or detaching parts such as zippers or buttons. Most of the collection done zero waste without any fabric off-cuts. Those left-over fabric pieces that come in production we use in our own products such as napkins or find a company or a charity that can make use of them. This way there is no fabric waste coming from HEMPEA production.
Who is behind HEMPEA?
Behing the company it's me, Marja-Maija. I'm a gentle dreamer, who gets easily excited. As a solo entrepreneur I do everything from designing to marketing, from packing your orders to social media. I still cut all the fabrics ready for the seamstress and occasionally also do sewing myself. I'm a mother of three small girls and one older bonus child. Family is most important to me and they are also the ones who make it possible for me to do this work. My kids are my happy helpers and an inspiration to me. Many of the kids' products have born out of necessity when they have grown.
Luckily every now and then I get to work with talented, amazing professionals in many fields such as making of the products, photography and the web shop as well as with our retailers. I also love to do collaborations with other small companies with the same values.
What would you like to know about HEMPEA, the company, the story behind it all or the production?
Marja-Maija Valtonen | HEMPEA