Meet The Maker | Goodlids
Photography | @ryanmglover & sarah_norris
We teamed up with the guys from Goodlids to bring you some palatable words from founder Dane, and some behind the scenes shots from our trip up north, shot on Polaroid. We spoke to Dane about the Goodlids journey so far, and dug in deep about the hemp revolution. These guys have been on everyone’s lips (or heads for that matter) this past year, and it’s clear to see why. They love what they do and they do it well.
Thanks for having a chat with us - and thanks for the lids! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves? Who’s behind the lids?
My brother Clay and I are the people behind Goodlids! I'd describe us as two regular Kiwi guys. We love the outdoors, love living in NZ and want to play our part in helping to tackle some of the issues behind climate change. Goodlids is our first venture into that sort of sustainability space.
What's the deal with hemp? It seems to be popping up all over the place.
Hemp is a really great crop, not only for textiles but for so many other commercial applications: paper, food, bio-plastics, even building materials. It has a really bright future in commercial application because of its versatility, fibre strength, and durability. The hemp plant itself is also a great natural resource in the fight to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Hemp takes out around four times the amount of carbon from the atmosphere than the average tree.
Why did hemp become your material of choice?
Hemp became our material of choice pretty much as soon as we learned about the benefits of farming hemp for our planet. We then really fell in love with hemp when we picked up our first few samples of hemp fabric. The 90% hemp material that we use for our hats, felt like something between linen and canvas - it felt really nice, but also sturdy. The 55% Hemp, 45% Organic cotton blend that we use for our tees felt incredible to the touch. It's safe to say we were sold from the get-go!
We're all about supporting other sustainable brands out there. Any you'd like to give a shout out to?
I'm really stoked to say that the brand that I look up to the most in terms of sustainability is NZ brand: Maggie Marilyn. They're doing some awesome work in the sustainability space. They have great principles and are really thorough with all information regarding their business. Bagged NZ are doing some great work with their bags made from repurposed billboard waste. I think that circular business models are the future - particularly in the clothing space.
Future plans for you guys?
We've been really lucky to have a great first year in business, seeing so many people in our hats has been unreal. Moving forward, we are keen to explore making other hemp clothing products, as well as refining our hats to make sure that they are the best hats that they possibly can be. Sustainability is also at the forefront of our business, so we will be working toward some lofty goals in that space too. Exciting times for sure!
