Follow the journey from seed to stitch through our textile sourcing experiences in Peru. Meet the people, places, and processes behind our textiles and the anthropology that inspired them.
Walk the fields naturally colored native Peruvian cotton returns to life, and where the past and future take root.
As the foundation for our textile sourcing experiences in Peru, this regenerative center invites visitors to witness native cotton’s full lifecycle, from seed to showroom.
On the outskirts of Lima, nestled in the rural valley of Pachacamac, lies the Naturtex Organic Cotton Interpretation Center. More than a farm, this is a regenerative ecosystem and living classroom, where ancestral Andean practices guide every seed sown, every fiber ginned, and every life cycle respected.
Visitors are guided by Dr. James Vreeland and the Naturtex team, who share the story of native cotton as few can: from its archaeological origins to the modern regenerative techniques used to bring it back. Here, cotton is not just white, it blooms in beige, mocha, chocolate, and even green, each color born from a seed saved and nurtured through generations.
You’ll witness pre-Columbian farming tools and compost systems that rely on river sand, kitchen waste, coffee pulp, and lombri-compost. You’ll see biocides made from garlic and chili, learn the role of bees in pollination, and handle raw cotton straight from the boll. Children marvel at the animals; adults marvel at the wisdom.
Audience: University groups , Textile scholars and eco-fashion storytellers, Families and educators
Duration: Half-day (with optional museum extension)
Participation: Registration required. Monthly frequency.
From seed to show room, follow the living thread of ancestral fiber.
Each year, Naturtex opens its doors to a small group of collaborators and seekers, designers, buyers, sellers, artists, and storytellers, inviting them to trace the hidden path behind every cotton seed and every organic garment.
This is not a showroom tour, rather a seasonal, curated expedition for those who want more. Naturtex shares 3 decades of textile sourcing experiences in Peru, into the ecological and cultural origins of the fibers we use, crossing Peru’s diverse geographies: from coastal deserts to highland valleys and deep into the Amazon rainforest. You’ll meet the growers, spinners, dyers, and weavers, many of whom live in indigenous or peasant communities, who conserve native cotton in its rare natural hues: chocolate, mauve, avocado green, and the recently rediscovered Amazon kidney cotton.
Throughout, you’ll see how fiber becomes culture, and culture becomes fabric.
Audience: Participation is reserved for designers, sourcing managers, and fashion brands with active orders in production with Naturtex. Documentary filmmakers, photographers, and content creators may accompany existing tours if space allows and with prior coordination.
Duration: Multi-day immersion (typically 3–5 days), tailored to participant profiles
Participation: By invitation or inquiry, itineraries may adapt to production cycles and community availability
Follow the journey of ancestral, naturally colored organic cotton, cultivated, harvested, and crafted using ancient techniques, at our organic, regenerative farm in Pachacamac, a few miles south of Lima, Peru’s capital.
Join North American archaeologist Dr. James Vreeland, Jr. (PhD program, Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas, Austin) and the Naturtex team as they guide you through centuries-old agricultural tools, irrigation systems, and native plants still in use today. Over 6,000 years ago, farmers in Peru’s coastal desert began cultivating tomatoes, squash, beans, corn, cacao, coca, avocado, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and a range of native fruits and vegetables, all organically, along with native cotton.
Our Farm is a living interpretation center dedicated to reviving and sharing these traditional methods, especially for peasant and indigenous communities. You’ll see how archaeological “paleo-technologies” are being brought back to life, not just for food, but to grow native Peruvian cotton, domesticated more than 6,000 years ago and flourishing in rare natural colors: mocha, green, beige, and more, no dyes needed.
Volunteers are invited to work alongside seasoned traditional farmers from rural peasant communities, in harvesting this cotton, which is later transformed into garments by Italian fashion houses like Armani, Prenatal, Chervo, and others across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
While more rooted in regenerative farming, this experience complements Naturtex’s broader textile sourcing work in Peru by preserving the land and techniques that sustain native fibers.
Located just 30 minutes from Lima, the farm is easily accessible by public transit and surrounded by vibrant culture, cuisine, and music.
Audience: Environmental and agricultural volunteers
Students (gap year, research, fieldwork)
Duration: 1 to 4 months (longer stays available for approved projects or institutional partners)
Participation: This is an exchange-based program. Volunteers receive: daily organic meals, lodging or transport assistance, accident insurance, organic Naturtex cotton t-shirt, pants, and boots.
Spots are limited. Advance coordination required.
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