‘PURAA – ‘Sustainable Cothing’ Unveiled – Prof. Senthil Kumar Launches HEMP-Based Apparel Brand
12 October 2022: Nothing can hamper, Prof. Senthil Kumar Sivamathiah, a Chennai-based English Literature Professor, in promoting the most eco-friendly clothing, made out of Hemp plants. The Professor has launched his Hemp made Clothing Brand called ‘PURAA – The Future’ in Limited Edition. He is chalking out big plans to make it a pan-India business. In addition to clothing, he has also big plans to introduce several products out of Hemp.
PURAA – The Future brand was launched in June 2021 by SMLSS Agro (P) Ltd., founded by Prof. Senthil Kumar. The company procures HEMP Fabric from Mumbai and gets it stitched in Madurai. “We started our project as a test market. There are concrete plans to expand production and the business. We plan to open three stores in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai under the name SMLSS Stores. Initially, we will offer kids’ and men’s wear – shirts. We are trying to introduce HEMP T-shirts but currently, the cost is a bit high. However, once demand goes up the price may come down. We are in talks with an educational institute that wants to introduce HEMP school uniforms. If this project is implemented, the said Institute will be the first one to introduce school uniforms made from HEMP Fabric,” says Prof. Senthil.
Giving an anecdote about his entry into HEMP clothing, Prof. Senthil recalls “Once I visited Ooty along with my son before which I had narrated stories of great Ooty as an environmentally pleasing hill station. But when he visited, he was a little upset as the hill station is not in the same condition which it used to be once upon a time. He questioned the environmental degradation in Ooty as there are a lot of constructions. Since then I started doing some research to get involved in an eco-friendly project. I zeroed into ‘HEMP’ related product manufacturing and promotion, certainly, the first choice was Fashion products.”
Prof. Senthil Kumar Sivamathiah is a passionate educator and entrepreneur, focusing on sustainable goods and services for the welfare of society. He is the Managing Trustee of Mythily Mathiah Charitable Trust – Moksha.
HEMP is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown in many countries. The world-leading producer of hemp is China, which produces more than 70% of the world’s output. France ranks second with about a quarter of the world’s production. Smaller production occurs in the rest of Europe, Chile and North Korea. Over 30 countries produce industrial HEMP, including India.
HEMP can replace more than 2,500 products that are hazardous to the earth. It can be refined into a variety of commercial items beginning with medicines, fine textiles, papers, clothes, beauty products, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation biofuel, etc. The fabric gets better with every wash in addition to good tensile strength. HEMP is naturally chemical-free and absorbs toxic elements.
The bast fibres can be used to make textiles that are 100% hemp, but they are commonly blended with other fibres, such as flax, cotton, or silk, as well as virgin and recycled polyester, to make woven fabrics for apparel and furnishings. For centuries, items ranging from rope to fabrics, to industrial materials were made from HEMP fibre. Hemp was also commonly used to make sail canvas. The word “canvas” is derived from the word cannabis. Pure HEMP has a texture similar to linen.
www.senthil.smiss@gmail.com
