Exhibition Release: Cotonea presents four new organic Pima Cotton fabrics

Cotonea will be showcasing four new organic Pima Cotton fabrics for the first time at the Première Vision fashion and textile trade fair (4th-6th July in Paris).

The Pima poplin and Pima fine twill fabrics, along with the two Pima interlock knits (190 g/m² and 250 g/m²), are characterized by their silky-fine and extra-long fibers, providing exceptional softness combined with high strength, and a luxurious sheen. These qualities make Pima cotton the queen of cotton fibres. Many luxury fashion brands rely on the premium yarns and fabrics made from Pima cotton. However, even top chefs demand a durable fabric with a soft touch for their chef jackets and aprons, which is why they choose this rare cotton. In addition of being breathable, soft, and dimensionally stable, Cotonea's organic Pima cotton fabrics are particularly skin-friendly and suitable for individuals with allergies, thanks to their organic cultivation. 

Origin and Cultivation

Pima Cotton with its extra-long-staple fiber, is originally native to Peru. Today, it is primarily grown in the United States and also Israel and Peru. It is one of the rarest cotton varieties. Out of the 25 million tons of cotton produced worldwide annually, long-staple and extra-long-staple cotton accounted for only one to two percent, ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 tons, in the past ten years. Organic Pima cotton, with just a few thousand tons produced each year, is seldom and therefore a true rarity. 

The Pima cotton plant thrives particularly well in hot, desert-like regions with at least 14 hours of sunshine. It is especially suited for organic cultivation as it is water-efficient, meaning it can sufficiently thrive with a deep-rooted drip irrigation system. An additional benefit of this technique is that it limits the growth of competing plants, which are typically eliminated with herbicides in conventional farming methods.

Organic Pima Cotton for Cotonea

In the USA, which is currently the most important cultivation country for Pima cotton, there are only about 80 organic cotton farmers. Among them, only a handful are capable of growing organic Pima cotton. Cotonea lives up to its pioneering claim in this regard as well: Since 1997, Cotonea has been collaborating with Ramón "Dosi" Álvarez from New Mexico, a pioneer of organic cotton farming in the USA. Since 2016, Dosi Álvarez has been growing organic Pima cotton for Cotonea, and Cotonea has since expanded its network of cultivation partners. As with all their contract partners, Cotonea values respectful and fair business practices in its collaborations. This includes, for example, that farmers can define the acreage they want to cultivate in a contract. Cotonea then purchases the cotton that has grown on this land. This provides them with planning possibilities and economic security. For Cotonea, it means having reliable suppliers for their exclusive Pima cotton.