An.Ti.Co.
YARNS FROM NATURALLY COLOURED COTTONS
ALBINI_next has been researching the development of yarns made with naturally coloured cotton. The An.Ti.Co. project, in collaboration with Vreseis Limited, explored the use of organically grown, GOTS-certified brown and green cottons.
The original seeds behind the project come from a cross between ancient cotton varieties—known for producing naturally pigmented fibres—and long-staple white cottons such as Sea Island, Giza, and Pima.
THE ORIGINS AND HISTORY
The colour of the cotton fibre is a genetically controlled feature. The full expression of the colour of the lint only takes place when the boll is opened completely, and the lint is exposed to sunlight. It therefore takes about a week for the lint to develop a completely natural colour. Naturally coloured cotton fibres have always existed and have been used by humans since antiquity. These wild seeds, however, have disadvantages in today’s industrial context as they have a short fibre, low resistance and toughness, and most importantly, a rather limited productivity rate.
For these reasons, during the latter half of the 20th century, in a worldwide context of standardisation and increased production combined with the advent of synthetic colours, the textile industry almost completely abandoned the use of coloured cotton fibres in favour of white fibres, which offer a superior quality and yield.
THE HYBRIDISATION OF ANCIENT SEEDS
To overcome the challenges posed by naturally coloured cotton, Sally Fox of Vreseis Limited has been working since 1982 in the United States to select and cultivate organic coloured cottons, with the aim of improving their spinnability and suitability for industrial use. Vreseis Limited developed the specific varieties grown for the An.Ti.Co. project, aligning with ALBINI_next’s quest for alternative and natural shades. By using naturally coloured cotton, the need for any kind of dyeing is eliminated.
SPINNING AND WEAVING
Once the coloured cotton was harvested, ALBINI_next partnered with Albini Yarns, the yarn division of Albini Group, to process the fibres. The result was the production of yarns in various counts for each colour.
