An established Caribbean cotton industry can provide a viable alternative to help boost the economy as part of the Government's diversification thrust. A $10 million investment can provide the Caribbean with the necessary machinery and other equipment to allow the region to transform its raw cotton-grown in Barbados and Jamaica-into fine West Indian fabric for export. This is the view of local fashion designer Claudia Pegus, who first expressed the idea of developing a regional cotton industry at last month's Caribbean Investment Forum at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's. In a subsequent interview at her Woodbrook design studio, Pegus said marketing the best cotton to the world would augur well, especially for the tourism sector and creative industries.
Pegus said the creative fashion industry is evolving and the global environment is now characterised by new emerging luxury niche markets, indigenous branding and an increasing demand for natural fabrics. She said Barbados' West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) is the best in the world and this indigenous 100 per cent unblended fabric can be used as an exclusive brand for the Caribbean. "This Caribbean resort brand can be used to reenergise T&T's fashion industry." This can be done by branding and marketing a Caribbean lifestyle, developing a line of finished products using only 100 per cent WISIC, and nurturing design talent and a skilled labour force, she said.
Pegus said Caribbean personalities could be used to endorse product lines as an effective way to reach global markets, while targeting the regional tourism resort sector. Most importantly, WISIC required investments in the establishment of a company to develop the concept. She said among the many opportunities for investments are research, manufacturing driven by technology, marketing, promotion, sales and distribution.
Spinners, weavers
Barbadian company, Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean Inc (ECCI)-formed in 2004 by local business and the government of Barbados-is the major producer of cotton in the region. Pegus said she has been working with ECCI for three years now to develop a strategy to establish and promote the cotton industry.She said while it is very expensive to produce fabric from raw cotton, she believes that if sufficient funds are invested in ECCI, the final cost would be more attractive to manufacturers, designers and fashion houses.In the meantime, ECCI purchases raw cotton from growers in Barbados and produces lint through the "ginning" process, which separates seeds and other debris from the fibres.
Pegus explained that the lint is compressed, baled and shipped to buyers, who are spinners and weavers in Switzerland and Italy. Yarn that is produced from the raw material for weaving and knitting into fabric and textiles is sold to weavers in Europe, United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. Demand for the product is growing. But Pegus said the Caribbean is losing out on profits because when they export the lint, the fashion industry now has to import the fabric at a very high cost.
Pegus, quoting Owen Bethel, president of Mode Îles Ltd, producers of the Islands of the World Fashion Week, said WISC is known for its silk-like feel and texture. Its fibres being longer than most other types of cotton makes it ideal for high-end quality garments, such as cashmere sweaters and polo shirts. Top international designers such as Gucci, Versace and Prada are using WISC to create fabulous designs, which fetch hefty price tags, she said. For instance, a Chanel cotton dress made from WISC costs about US$1,500.
Indigenous branding
The WISC is an ideal symbol and representation of the sand, sea and sun of the Caribbean, Pegus said.
Pegus spoke of Bethel identifying indigenous branding as a popular marketing strategy. The local designer said Bethel considers WISC a unique product to the islands which could impact positively on trade and in the area of competitive synthetic patterns. Pegus, who showcased her new collection of resort wear under the label "Breeze" Resort Wear Couture at the 2009 Bahamas-hosted World Fashion Week, said the idea behind her designs was to promote and market WISC. The second idea was "to demonstrate a classic example of encouraging the value-added growth of the fashion industry from the raw product in the ground to the processing and creation of a high-end consumer product."