Immediately following The 58th Annual Grammys the City Gala 2016 benefited Community Inspiring Today’s Youth (CITY) . The event was hosted by rapper/producer Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who welcomed Keynote speaker Sir Richard Branson and other guests like Buzz Aldrin, Chanel West Coast, Jeff Timmons, Paul Oakenfold, John Paul DeJoria and more.
During the Hemp Blue fashion show the runway momentarily became a site for protest as the models marched the catwalk holding signs demanding action towards the fight for the legalization for agricultural hemp in the U.S.
After their successful Kickstarter campaign, the founders of Hemp Blue; Derek Thomas and Robin Lane with designer Alfredo Settimio, have been preparing the complete collection and incorporating more products with premium hemp materials that are currently sourced from countries like Italy and Japan. They are quick to point out, however, that they are fighting to work with American grown hemp textiles.