Our Initiatives

A New Beginning. Cotton.A New Beginning. Cotton.

Cotton is a very familiar
material in our daily lives.
Because it is so familiar,
we tend to take its value for granted.
We want to learn about cotton once more
and consider its appeal in a new light.
With this in mind,
we have begun different initiatives.

Feeling Cotton

In order to research cotton, a cotton field was established at the Omachi Factory and cultivation began. Even though we started with no knowledge or expertise and became painfully aware of the difficulties of dealing with pest damage and nature, we have now grown ten varieties of cotton and have discovered that cotton can be grown in the cool environment of Omachi City.
The location also functions as a place of communication for local exchange and learning through cotton by planting and harvesting cotton together with the surrounding community.
By growing cotton ourselves, we are reminded of the preciousness of nature’s bounty, and are developing new yarns using waste thread and waste cotton (cotton waste from the spinning process), making it possible to create products that do not waste cotton.

Feeling Cotton
Feeling Cotton

Yarns developed from “fallen cotton” and “thread scraps” are reused for renment’s original drawstring.

Sea Island Cotton
Research

Sea Island Cotton is cultivated by contract farmers in the production area, and we have a variety of information on who grows the cotton and how much is produced. The entire process from the fields to the yarn and fabric is thoroughly managed to ensure traceability that delivers peace of mind and reliability to our customers.
Particularly in recent years, the supply chain for apparel products has become increasingly complex, and the situation surrounding cotton is changing on a daily basis, especially with the impact of climate change on the cultivation environment.
Therefore, in order to protect the rare Sea Island Cotton that we handle and preserve for future generations, we have launched an industry-academia collaboration project in cooperation with Shinshu University and SEA ISLAND CLUB (JAPAN) CO. LTD. We are conducting research to protect the value of the Sea Island Cotton brand and DNA research to improve quality and productivity, as well as research to establish new cultivation methods with the aim of exploring factors that affect the characteristics of cotton during the cultivation process.
We believe that establishing these technologies, providing guidance and introducing them to production areas will not only improve cotton quality and productivity, but also protect the farmers’ livelihoods.

Sea Island Cotton Research
Sea Island Cotton Research

Sustainability

Our factory is located in Omachi City in Nagano Prefecture that is known as a beautiful town with four distinct seasons, where people’s lives are closely connected with nature. Located at the foot of the 3,000-meter-high mountains of the Northern Alps, the city benefits from abundant rain and snowfall in the surrounding mountains, which is used not only for drinking but also for agriculture and other purposes.
In the spinning process, temperature and humidity control is extremely important. In a factory with many machines in operation, a large amount of machine heat is generated which is usually cooled by refrigeration equipment and heat exchange using electricity. However, Omachi City has a year-round underground water supply with a water temperature of 13°C, and this water is pumped up and used for air conditioning control to realize heat exchange and reduce waste and environmental burden by using only the necessary amount of water when needed. It is a very friendly factory to both people and the global environment. This is why our spinning mill is located in this town.

Sustainability
Sustainability

Heat generated by the operation of many machines is cooled in a cooling room that uses groundwater to reduce costs and make the plant environmentally friendly.

To Cotton
100 years later

Cotton’s future is not always a bright prospect.
However, that is why it is important that we do not ignore the challenges
that arise and continue to think about what we can do now and take action.

To leave behind great cotton 100 years from now.
To bring smiles to the faces of future generations
when they come into contact with delightful cotton.

We will never forget our gratitude towards nature’s bounty,
and will always have the fresh attitude of a first meeting.
We will continue to work with cotton.