FABRIC: AMERICAN UPLAND COTTON
Region: Southern USA
Fabric Name:
American Upland Cotton
Origin:
Gossypium sp
Who made our fabric:
Huston Textile Company, Sacramento, California, USA
Natural history and ecology:
“From farm to fabric, every step of the process is transparent and originates in the United States. Using domestically sourced natural, sustainable and regenerative raw materials, we ‘invest’ in local farmers and ranchers.”- Huston Textile Co.
What makes this so special: This cotton denim Gossypium hirsutum was made by Huston Textile Company, a family-owned artisan textile mill in California whose mission is to empower and engage resilient bio-regional supply hubs. Using domestically sourced natural, regenerative raw materials, Huston Textiles partners with local to national U.S. farmers, ranchers and raw material mill specialists. Woven on vintage power looms in an airline hangar in Sacramento, every fabric is a truly place-based and totally traceable product.
Bio-regional supply hubs are at the core of this fabric and the company that produces it.
“The journey has been a true labor of love, from locating the machinery, to restoring it to its original working state; while at the same time using U.S. sourced raw materials.”
Learn more about the work of Huston Textile Company and their mission to create new, innovative fabrics by looking to the past.
Image from www.hustontextile.com
“We believe in creating a better future - working with iconic technologies paired with regenerative fibers that benefit the environment is our solution. Alongside domestic farmers & ranchers, we add value to these community-building natural fiber systems as we produce textile art that lasts generations.”
— Ryan Huston/ American upland Cotton
Ryan Huston
Meet, Ryan Huston, Chief Engineer & Operations Officer, passionate about technology & materializing pathways that positively impact the world. His unique skillsets & training cover fields including computer science, electrical engineering, heavy machinery operations, engineering systems & design modeling around automated logistics.
When applied to domestic textile manufacturing using heritage-rich machinery - some dating as far back as the 1920s, all repaired, adapted & trained on by Ryan himself - his company joins a small group of makers leading America’s revival of limited-edition textile knits & wovens.
Such steady efforts have led Huston to develop highly original, authentic American fabrics that defy comparison in a modern market widely built around cut-rate, toxic goods that offer minimal “wears” over time. We think American-made quality is something worth protecting & treasuring; everything we produce stays true to this pledge. The last few years have made it clear that we need more goods made in the U.S.A., including fabric.