Extraordinary values of hemp fabric feature in pioneering, three-day Banbury installation

The show – What We Weave We Leave - runs from tomorrow (Tuesday) until Thursday at the former Moss Bros shop on the corner of Church Lane and High Street. It is the outcome of artist Pierangela Manzetti’s final degree project.

Using photography, graphics, augmented reality and installations the show demonstrates the incredible properties of hemp and how they are good for the planet, even though the plant has demonised.

Hemp is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-allergen, biodegradable, UV resistant, moisture-wicking, thermodynamic, compostable and recyclable. It is five times the tensile strength of cotton and retains colour and quality when dyed. It requires no pesticides and very little water to grow.

Ms Manzetti said: “As a final major project for my degree in fashion communications with business studies, I focused on hemp fabric and hemp as an industry.

"Growing hemp is great for the planet; it is not only a carbon sequester (cleans the air we breathe) but also conditions the soil. It made me wonder why it was ever demonised.

“My deep-dive research lead me to understand many things. One great discovery was that hemp fabrics are not the scratchy material and rope I once thought it to be. In fact, one can get hemp silk, soft hemp jersey and even hemp fur. I felt compelled to share my newfound knowledge with the world.”

Ms Manzetti’s specialisms are photography, graphics, animation, augmented reality and installations, all of which will be on display.

By downloading the Artivive app, visitors can view the augmented reality video content triggered by the installation.

Ms Manzetti’s Brighton University degree came after a decision to study when Covid lockdowns prevented her from working.

She is an award-winning hairstylist for Johannesburg Technical College and Carlton Hair International and has trained other stylists. Among her many creations was Eiffel Tower, a headpiece made from nylon hair. She is also an accomplished face- and body-painter.

She received awards for make-up and avant-garde hairstyling at all levels as a freelancer and has also worked in care-homes doing hair, something she continues to do. Ms Manzetti has worked at London Fashion Week doing hair and make-up, including design for celebrity Orissa Kelly, the world famous archer.

• The Banbury installation includes a handcrafted swatch palate. At the centre is a collage of fabrics which are different on both sides. The centrepiece of the installation is a collage of 40 hexagonal, hemp fabrics sewn together in an organic manner. Framing the centre is a paper cut pattern. The Japanese hemp leaf pattern, ‘asa no ha’, is made of hemp card. ‘Asa no ha’ was used in the design of original Japanese kimonos and can be found on many Buddhist temples. It is said to ward off evil.
• The frame surrounding the paper cut incorporates thick hemp rope, shaped as a hexagon. An animation describes the qualities of hemp and shows the process of production from seed to clothing. To accompany this is a handcrafted swatch booklet made of hemp card and hemp fabrics.

For more about Ms Manzetti’s work see Instagram pierangela.co.uk or www.pierangela.co.uk.