COTTON USA Mark-Labeled Socks Will Be Sold at Dollar General Through Licensee Gildan

COTTON USA in the USA licensee Gildan produced a new line of U.S. cotton-rich socks for Dollar General. Dollar General has promoted the COTTON USA labeled socks via press releases highlighting the U.S. cotton content. The Dollar General press release noted: "U.S. cotton growers have taken a leadership position globally in developing sustainable agriculture practices and ethical workplace conditions." Gildan Activewear - a leading global apparel manufacturer of T-shirts, sport shirts, fleece, underwear and socks - joined the COTTON USA in the USA Licensing Program in 2009. CCI licensed the company to begin using the internationally recognized COTTON USA Mark on products sold in the United States and abroad. Gildan uses 100 percent U.S. cotton from Western Hemisphere textile mills for its COTTON USA labeled products.

IFCP Bulletin Highlights COTTON USA’s Sponsorship of Denim Competition

Texas Tech Students Design U.S. Cotton-Rich Jeans for “Denim Runway”

Twenty-six students from Texas Tech University’s College of Human Sciences competed to create the most fashion-forward U.S. cotton-rich jeans for men and women in a “Denim Runway” contest co-sponsored by CCI. The two winning students from Texas Tech’s Apparel Design and Manufacturing program, in the Department of Design, will get to see how new designs go into commercial production at Denimatrix in Guatemala.

“A large amount of U.S. cotton fiber goes into the production of denim jeans, and consumers all over the world love wearing jeans,” said CCI President Wally Darneille. “This competition gave aspiring designers experience working with U.S. cotton denim fabric, in addition to exposure to the U.S. cotton textile industry, apparel makers in the Western Hemisphere and CCI’s COTTON USA Program.”

The winning pair of men’s jeans, designed by Stephanie Hartwig, sported a zigzag pattern, while the winning women’s jeans, created by Becca Pierce, featured a profile of a woman’s face in an art nouveau style on the rear pockets. The competing students designed their jeans using U.S. cotton-rich denim from a Littlefield, Texas, mill owned by Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA).

COTTON USA will sponsor a visit by the two winning designers to the Colombiamoda trade show in Medellin, Colombia, July 27-29 to promote U.S. cotton-rich jeans and give them a comprehensive view of the industry, from fiber to processing to brand to retail. The COTTON USA stand at this important apparel trade show highlights U.S. cotton yarns and fabrics from COTTON USA Sourcing Program member mills. Attendance at Colombiamoda will give the winning student designers the opportunity to learn about the U.S. cotton textile industry and garment manufacturing companies throughout the Western Hemisphere and to serve as ombudsmen for COTTON USA at this important regional show.