The Kingpins Show Mills Want Cotton, Because Cotton Means Quality

By Jim.Robinson|January 5, 2012

By Robert Antoshak
Managing Director, Olah Inc.

As the exclusive licensee for FiberMax and Stoneville cotton in the finished garment business, Olah Inc. is fortunate to work with Bayer CropScience in promoting these varieties to the textile and fashion industries around the world. In fact, thanks to this promotion, we have had the opportunity to interact with dozens of branded apparel and retailing firms regarding the importance of using quality cotton in their products. With the recent volatility in cotton prices over the past year or so, the balance between price and quality has become ever more important to downstream customers.

To help address the issues affecting the cotton market and how those issues impact the fashion industry, Olah Inc. hosted a cotton seminar as part of the Kingpins denim show held recently in New York, attended by more than 100 major apparel companies. The topics of the seminar, which was held in a round-table format, ranged from: the health of the current domestic and international cotton crop and how prices will be impacted as that cotton goes to market; when apparel brands can expect to see their fabric costs dip to reflect the current drop in the price of raw cotton; new and emerging technologies that are helping farmers grow healthier, better-quality cotton; and what role organic cotton has in the fashion industry, as well as its effect on the larger cotton-growing community.

The event was highlighted by some heavyweight speakers from around the broader cotton-textile-apparel industry including Jeff Silberman, head of the Textile Development and Marketing Department at Fashion Institute of Technology; Dr. O.A. Cleveland, professor emeritus, Mississippi State University; Monty Christian, vice president of U.S. Cotton Operations, Seed and Fiber Technology, Bayer CropScience; Kater Hake, vice president, Agricultural Research, Cotton Inc.; Steve Newsom, conventional cotton farmer; and Cliff Bingham, organic and conventional cotton farmer.

Throughout the entire seminar, quality was a central topic of discussion as all speakers commented on the importance of maintaining quality production both in terms of not only providing added value to downstream customers, but also to continue the expansion of U.S. grown quality cotton in international markets. A major takeaway from the event was that even though much of the U.S. crop has been adversely affected by poor weather, demand for quality cotton remains stronger than ever. Mills know what they want and quality cotton delivers what they need.