Inspiring and innovative collaborations
Cotton
For millennia, Indigenous farmers in the upper Amazon highlands have cultivated Pakucho®, the naturally pigmented “brown cotton” whose name originates from the Inka language. Grown in biodiverse, chemical-free agroforestry systems, Pakucho cotton thrives without synthetic inputs, reaching heights of over five meters. These resilient plants are rain-fed and intercropped with medicinal herbs, food crops, and natural dye plants, embodying a regenerative, ancestral model of agriculture. These systems are central to our broader mission of leading regenerative textile projects in Peru, blending ecology, agriculture, and tradition.
Women in these communities hand-harvest the large cotton bolls with care, then sort and spin the naturally colored fibers into yarns used for weaving traditional textiles such as belts, blankets, and bags.
Since 1984, Naturtex has partnered with these communities to restore and scale the production of Pakucho cotton. Today, we help support the harvest of thousands of kilos annually, bridging cultural heritage with modern demand for sustainable, certified organic textiles.
Rooted in anthropology, our approach respects and reinforces the deep knowledge Indigenous and peasant communities have practiced for generations, empowering them to thrive by doing what they know best.
On the eastern slopes of Peru’s upper Amazon, Indigenous horticulturalists have cultivated Pakucho®, a naturally pigmented heirloom cotton, for thousands of years. In recent decades, however, the spread of illegal coca farming, driven by foreign drug cartels, has displaced native cotton with coca leaf, destabilizing families, economies, and ecosystems.
Since 1993, our Drug Free Cotton Project has worked to restore cultural balance and economic stability by offering fair, consistent prices for Pakucho cotton. Despite ongoing threats, including violence against farmers and criminal interference, Indigenous communities continue to recover and protect this vital crop, with Naturtex standing firmly in support.
As one of Naturtex’s longest-running regenerative textile projects in Peru, this initiative strengthens cultural resilience while safeguarding native cotton traditions.
In partnership with the Peruvian regional government, we helped establish a community-owned gin in a traditional cotton-growing village. There, white and brown fibers are ginned locally and sold at premium prices. The cotton is then transported to Lima, where it is spun and knit into garments that blend Indigenous agricultural wisdom with contemporary textile innovation. Our Pakucho fabrics have reached global fashion houses, including Armani and Prenatal in Italy, Hess Natur and Engel in Germany, Tenerita and Markaware in Japan, and Chirimoya in Austria, as well as startup brands across Peru, Australia, and beyond.
Amazonian Kidney Cotton: A Rediscovered Legacy
Named for the distinctive kidney-shaped clusters of its seeds, Amazonian Kidney Cotton is a long-lost native variety recently rediscovered by Naturtex. This cultivar produces a strong, long-staple white fiber once central to Amazonian craft. Today, we are working to restore its cultivation for both artisanal and industrial applications, supporting biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Sustaining Indigenous Cotton and Sovereignty
Through fair pricing and long-term partnerships, Naturtex supports the revival of Pakucho and Amazonian Kidney Cotton, now proudly grown by hundreds of Indigenous families. These efforts not only reclaim endangered cotton varieties, but also reinforce local sovereignty, ecological resilience, and sustainable livelihoods in one of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally rich regions.
Though named after an American Indigenous tribe, the genetic origins of Pima cotton trace back to Peru, the original cradle of native cotton cultivation. Our research has mapped its extraordinary journey: from Peru’s Pacific coast to West Africa, on to Egypt, and finally across the Atlantic to Pima County, Arizona, where it was named in the early 20th century.
Celebrated for its exceptional length, fineness, and natural sheen, Pima cotton became a staple of global fashion houses and premium textile manufacturers. In a historic twist, a Peruvian landowner visiting Arizona in 1922 returned home with Pima seeds and replanted them in northern Peru’s coastal deserts. There, the cotton thrived, naturally suited to the soil of its ancestral homeland, a story covered by APLF as a leading example of sustainable desert agriculture in Peru.
In 1999, Naturtex made history by becoming the first company to receive organic certification for Pima cotton worldwide, with harvests spanning over 80 hectares. In 2005, we debuted the world’s first Fair Trade Pima cotton jeans at London’s inaugural Fair Trade Fashion Night. This milestone cemented Naturtex as the first fully Fair Trade and Organic-certified textile company in the Americas, where luxury meets ethics and sustainability.
Today, our organic Pima cotton is a cornerstone of Naturtex’s commitment to fashion with a face and future, supporting regenerative textile projects in Peru focused on traceable sourcing and community-based farming practices.
Alpaca
For over 8,000 years, the noble Alpaca has roamed the open pastures of the high Andes, first domesticated by resilient indigenous herders living above 4,000 meters (12,400 feet) in one of the planet’s harshest environments. These pastoralists traditionally sheared and sorted fleece in a wide range of natural alpaca colors, from ivory and camel to reddish brown, from gray and deep black. However, the growing demand from industrial textile manufacturers for uniform white fiber, which is easier to dye and rebrand, has threatened the survival of these rare colored alpacas.
In remote highland regions where clean water and pastures are increasingly scarce, herders are often pressured to eliminate their colored stock in favor of all-white herds. Naturtex’s Angel Touch® Baby Alpaca Project directly addresses this issue by offering fair and premium prices for naturally pigmented alpaca fleece, with a special focus on preserving black baby alpaca fiber, one of the rarest and most luxurious in the world.
In a groundbreaking achievement, in 2022, we launched the first collection of black baby and royal alpaca yarns, which were met with exceptional acclaim upon their debut in Japan, showcasing the beauty and value of authentic, undyed Peruvian alpaca.
Nature Dyes
In the Upper Amazon jungle of eastern Peru, the Shipibo-Conibo people have cultivated a rich textile tradition that spans centuries. Female artisans pot-dye yarn, fabric and garments using ancestral techniques passed down through generations. Working with large pots and natural ingredients from the rainforest, they transform Naturtex cotton fabrics and garments into vibrant pieces of wearable art, no synthetic dyes required.
Their botanical palette is drawn from sustainably sourced barks, fruits, and leaves. Mahogany bark yields a deep, earthy brick tone; mango bark a warm orange hue; and coca leaves, misunderstood but sacred, create calming green and tea-colored shades. Other plants like almond, and the grayish-purple huito fruit contribute to a unique spectrum of natural, stable, and even edible colors.
Naturtex collaborates with the Shipibo community to stimulate demand for their naturally dyed cotton fabrics and garments, supporting fair income and protecting endangered artisan techniques. Through this partnership, we aim to promote the intergenerational transfer of knowledge, from grandmothers to daughters and granddaughters, ensuring that these traditions endure and thrive.
Wellness
For millennia, copper has been valued across civilizations for its healing and purifying properties, used to disinfect water, treat wounds, and relieve joint pain from arthritis, rheumatism, and stress. While working on an archaeological site in northern Peru, Naturtex founder James Vreeland observed how ancient copper burial ornaments preserved textile fragments in tombs.
Inspired by this discovery, Vreeland developed Qoperfina®, a pioneering textile innovation that blends organic cotton, baby alpaca, and pure copper microfibers into soft, durable fabrics designed for comfort and well-being.
Endorsed by leading medical experts like Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. John R. J. Sorenson, Qoperfina® bridges ancient knowledge with modern science. The pure copper content provides antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal protection, making it ideal for intimate wear, socks, loungewear, bedding, and therapeutic garments.
During the global pandemic, demand for Qoperfina® surged as consumers turned to textiles that promote hygiene, immunity, and holistic wellness. Today, it remains one of Naturtex’ most innovative wellness-focused fabric lines.