Regine Roquia: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you coined the image of “Weed Auntie.”

Solonje Burnett: The name Weed Auntie was given to me by the cannabis community organically and I definitely don’t take it lightly for two reasons. First, “auntie” is trending. From the rich auntie to the church auntie, the child-free girlies and femmes are embracing Big Auntie Energy (okay BAE). Second, aunties have always held a special place in Black culture. They are the inspirational caregivers, trailblazers, educators, preservers of tradition while simultaneously taking risks and doing things differently than those who went the conventional society approved route. So to be called  Weed Auntie since 2021 is both an honor and realization of responsibility. 

I’m a Caribbean-American woman whose heritage is rooted in land stewardship, while my upbringing centered on being an outsider in a white homogeneous community. I understand what it’s like to be othered. I utilize the plant as a connective agent, educating on usage and building bridges between disparate communities.

You could’ve started with anything, why a jumpsuit? Can you walk us through your creative journey and what inspired this plant-based piece?

Along my creative journey, I’ve always been told to do what I know. The jumpsuit is an item of clothing I know intimately. For the past decade, I’ve been drawn to the one-piece for ease, versatility, and effortless style. There were a couple local woman-owned brands I had social media partnerships with and I included in my popups as vendors (one specifically in making jumpsuits and the other kaftans) . Additionally, over the past 7 years, the entirety of my career in weed, Mara Hoffman not only dressed me for all special events but she inspired me by her ethical and inclusive approach to eco-fashion in a fast fashion epidemic.

Fashion is one of the most wasteful and environmentally damaging industries. It is also psychologically destructive with the glorification of [thin] body types that are highly unattainable and unnatural. Cannabis’ negative environmental impact isn’t far behind, with single-use packaging, disposable vapes and batteries destined for landfills, and the greenhouse gas emissions from indoor growing operations as only some of the concerns. Both industries require entrepreneurs to have access to deep pockets to survive.

When most folks are running toward making another pre-roll or gummy, struggling to compete against big multi-state operators, selling their culture to corporations and getting by on slim margins,

“I wanted to model an alternative way of being in the cannabis industry by encouraging folks to wear their weed – and bringing community along with me.”

I kept speaking it into the universe. Telling friends and anyone who asked that I wanted to make a jumpsuit. Then, at a conference in Las Vegas in November 2023, I met Stefanie Tacata of Stateless. She told me she liked my style at a women’s brunch and shared that her design firm was looking for an influencer to partner with. And just like that, my hemp jumpsuit dreams were on the path to becoming a reality.

I announced the presale on April’s full moon, 7 years after I entered the industry on a new moon with Humble Bloom in 2018. Continuing in the same vein, I personally designed and developed this limited-edition, earth-friendly, one-piece, aimed at educating people about conscious consumption while supporting people, plants, and the planet. Made from 45% hemp and 55% organic cotton, it’s a hemp experience. I’ve woven community care into every stitch. From designing with Tribeca-based Stateless, to local manufacturing in NYC’s Garment District, to the custom ice dyeing by Salted Ocean Dyes in LA, I’m intentionally selecting partners that reflect my values and uplifting womxn, the global majority, and LGBTQ+ owned small businesses.

This is an educational effort to demonstrate slow fashion practices from farm to fashion, illustrating yet another path to entrepreneurship in the industry. It's time to wear your weed. Our options don't have to be limited to opening a dispensary or starting a plant-touching brand, something where you’re growing, processing, or selling cannabis. If we are creative, show up every day and speak our dreams, we can manifest the magic we want to see.

As someone who didn’t even know hemp could be used as a fabric, this whole project fascinates me! How would you encourage consumers to start shopping sustainably? Feel free to shout out some of your favorite brands for inspiration.

Hemp has been used by humans for thousands of years. Hemp fabric predates medicinal usage, with records going back 6,000 years. It was traded worldwide and was grown in the 1600s in North America before cotton. Here, hemp was used to make ropes, paper, grain bags, wagon covers, and clothing. Leftovers were sent to oil mills for the extraction of hemp oil that was used in paints, inks, varnishes, and lamp oil. It was replaced by the cotton industry for local capitalism through the exploitation of enslaved people.

Hemp is becoming more popular because it’s a natural fiber that is derived from the stem of the plant similar to fabrics like linen, jute, flax, and bamboo. Hemp is biodegradable, sustainable, and durable. It has three times the tensile and flexible strength of cotton, and it holds its shape and softens with each use and wash. It is regarded as a more sustainable option for mass production compared with cotton. Hemp requires less water to grow, and as a high-yield crop you get more fiber for processing than other fibers. The fabric is breathable, resistant to mold and mildew, absorbent, hypoallergenic, and blocks UV rays. And when it hits the landfill, it actually breaks down unlike synthetic fibers.

I’ve been inspired by brands like Studio 189, Mara Hoffman and HARA as well as Studio Dem vintage by Michelene Auguste in Williamsburg. My main message for those trying to shift their consumption/consumer habits towards a more sustainable practice: 

• Consider shopping secondhand, small, local, and from marginalized identities.

• Know who makes whatever you put on and in your body, as well as how it is manufactured.

• If it’s exploitative or exhaustive, it isn’t worth the expense.

• Quality marches arm in arm with sustainability — fast fashion and so-called luxury items just ain't it. The markups are wild on the latter, and it’s all for what?
  
  
  

Who did you create this project for? Tell us about who you’d love to see wear your pieces, and any recommendations for styling the jumpsuit.

I made this jumpsuit for me!!! All jokes aside, I conceived this project as an opportunity for cuties who care to wear their values. For those who live with integrity, intention and understand our interconnectedness. It’s for anyone who is a caretaker of plants, people, and the planet. [I] made it a limited run, small batch, size-inclusive pre-order item so most people could wear it and I only produce what has been purchased. This hemp blend jumpsuit is for people who want to look good and feel great knowing their purchase brings them into community with others who know the joy of cannabis and all its applications. Hemp is one of the only plants that can clothe, feed, house and heal you. This garment is for the aunties, farmers, gardeners, lovers of leisure, travelers, the tall and small, the shes, hes, theys and thems. It’s a sustainable piece for basically everybody.

The details that make the jumpsuit unique are the straps, woven belt, and custom ice dyeing. The straps can either go through the holes at the back straight down or crossed. They can also be tied around the neck and worn as a halter. The lengthy belt can be wrapped once or twice around the waist. It can be tied in the front or back. The wearer can also make a harness out of it. Finally, for those who opt out of white or forest, Salted Ocean Dyes has allowed for the Caribbean-inspired palette of my dreams by including bold nature-inspired colors like hot hibiscus, marigold, indigo, black cherry, dutch chocolate, and deep orange. For an additional charge, you can get your jumpsuit custom-iced or solid dyed.

Orders are available for pre-order now and will ship by the end of June.