Cotton Over Coffee
Good Earth Cotton Showcases its Climate-Positive, Traceable Cotton Program in New York City.
Fabric trend show, PREFACE, spotlights the game-changing innovation driving Good Earth Cotton to the forefront of sustainable fashion.
This year marks Six Cheung’s 20th as founder and owner of Chaintex Limited. Based in Hong Kong, the innovative manufacturer brings a head-strong ambition to produce knitted fabrics from entirely renewable and sustainable sources, all of which are 100% traceable. While he shies away from the term “expert,” Cheung holds unparalleled knowledge of the intricate and varied processes behind the production of organic, recycled, and regenerative cotton.
One of Cheung’s promises at Chaintex is to commercialise and promote responsible, renewable, and traceable materials, and to “lead, learn, share, and partner with others along the way.” In doing so, he has collaborated with Good Earth Cotton, a partnership that strives to bring fundamental change to the textile industry on a global scale.
Last week, Cheung sat down with over 35 members of the fashion industry for an intimate discussion at PREFACE – a thoughtful, small-scale fabric trend show hosted by BREW Creative in Midtown New York City. The seminar, titled Cotton Over Coffee, allowed guests to sip on complimentary espresso while learning about the pioneering, science-backed practices powering Good Earth Cotton’s sustainable farming program. There, Cheung shared his experience working with the farm thus far, shedding light on its trailblazing ethos, and revolutionary transparency and traceability practices.
Cheung brought with him a humble approach to the topic, kicking off the conversation with thoughtful insight into the basic principles behind modern regenerative agriculture. “It’s kind of like yoga,” he said. “Regenerative farming offers a holistic approach, improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing ecosystems.”
When asked about the key elements setting Good Earth Cotton apart from conventional cotton-production methods, Cheung delineated the program’s harmonious balance between industry and nature, and its ability to “receive cotton yield and desired lint quality without sacrificing the environment, sequestering atmospheric carbon to the soil.”
Cheung stressed the significance of biotechnology and primary impact data within the regenerative cotton-making process, which, he explained, drives its accountable, transparent, and outcome-based approach. His “eye-opening” visit to Good Earth Cotton’s farm in May this year brought a personal touchpoint to the conversation, giving audience members an understanding of the sheer scale of the project. “The area of the farm is about half the size of Hong Kong city and about 10 times that of Manhattan island,” he said.
When delving into the pillars of Good Earth Cotton’s philosophy, Cheung explained the farm’s use of FibreTrace, which allows consumers to track a garment’s entire lifecycle by fixing traceable and scannable pigments directly into the cotton’s fibre. With an example FibreTrace model on display, Cheung demonstrated how incredibly simple the technology is to use, clarifying not only its ability to successfully quantify and audit fibre, but its commercial viability and accessibility, too.
For brands and designers, the concept of implementing such practices can seem overwhelmingly complicated. However, it is imperative the fashion industry commits to paving the way for a sustainable future. At Cotton Over Coffee, Cheung broke down the complexities of the textile supply chain, and implored suppliers and makers to be agents of change – a value at the core of Good Earth Cotton.
