Global demand for man-made fibers has increased nearly five percent per year over the past 18 years. Demand for cotton, on the other hand, has been inching at a smaller rate, remaining relatively flat. That is, until recently. A rise in the demand for cotton-rich, blended performance products is now helping drive cotton’s trajectory upward.
At COTTON USA, we understand that innovation is critical to our industry’s success. It helps us meet evolving consumer demands. We also know that cotton can genuinely add value to new textile products.
That’s why we launched WHAT’S NEW IN COTTON™, an initiative designed to inspire everyone in the supply chain to innovate with cotton (instead of polyester and other synthetic fibers) by showcasing new ideas in technology, blends and processes.
My team and I like to say that COTTON USA brings innovation to life. And that’s exactly what we did at this year’s Cotton Days, the annual series of events we host across Asia that brings together our licensees and potential partners to facilitate business connections across the supply chain.
Cotton Days took WHAT’S NEW IN COTTON™ to a whole new level with an interactive product exhibition, a fashion show and more dynamic keynote speakers. The results collectively offered industry leaders an in-depth look at COTTON USA’s continuous exploration in innovation, through the lens of creativity, technology and fashion.
At the core of COTTON USA’S continuous exploration is partnership. Through WHAT’S NEW IN COTTON™, we’ve partnered with several textile technology brands to design promotional pieces with U.S. cotton that put innovative fabric ideas into action, from yoga pants that actually aid in recovering from a workout to linens that control odor completely naturally, without metals. Cotton Days provided us a global stage to elevate our partners’ new products to key supply chain players, while emphasizing the potential of U.S. cotton in forward-thinking blended fabrics.
More than ever before, this year’s Cotton Days exemplified our premium value offering to the entire industry. Combining a key educational and networking opportunity with our WHAT’S NEW IN COTTON™ initiative enabled us to bring innovation to the forefront of discussion for our brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer attendees.
Looking forward, I’m excited about WHAT’S NEW IN COTTON™ because it truly showcases everything the textile industry can do with U.S. cotton and provides new ways to use it. The possibilities are endless! At COTTON USA, we like to inspire our partners with business-driven ideas, and welcome new partners to join us to understand the importance of innovation at COTTON USA.
We hope to see you at Cotton Days next year!
Source for Figures: PCI Wood Mackenzie, Fiber World Supply and Demand Report