experience
Photo: Coast Caribbean Images
The Barbados
Our Exclusive Cotton The first English planters in Barbados didn’t raise cane; they started out with tobacco, indigo, and cotton. By 1650, Barbados was the first of Britain’s West Indian colonies to export the fluffy fibre. West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) has led a colourful and somewhat contentious life since then. Barbados, Jamaica, Nevis and Antigua are now the only producers of WISIC. This branding sets it apart from plain old Sea Island Cotton, but gives the consumer no clue to its rarity. Long ago, West Indian cotton seeds were taken from Barbados to South Carolina, USA, and were passed on to a farmer on Sea Island, off the Georgia coast, where the strain acquired its unique name. The predations of the boll weevil led to genetic modifications in order to reduce reliance on pesticides. Now known as Uplands and Pima, the resultant cottons are now grown across the southern US from coast to coast. Now, according to an American source, "There has been no such thing as authentic Sea Island Cotton for 80 years. Anybody can call anything Sea Island Cotton and get away with it." This, however does not apply to the WISIC variety, which is having a revival in the Caribbean and is internationally registered as a pure Sea Island Cotton. Perhaps the author of that statement could be excused for overlooking WISIC, since it constitutes less than half a thousandth of 1% of the world's cotton production! WISIC requires special growing conditions to produce it, which only the small land masses of the Caribbean islands can provide. It also requires careful hand harvesting. These factors make it rare and expensive, but its quality justifies the price. Not as famous as uniquely branded Egyptian cotton, which is also noted for excellence, WISIC is a product of the gossypium
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The Ins & Out of Barbados
By Sarah Venable
barbadense variety of cotton. It is distinguished by its long staple, softness, and durability. Its fibers can have the sheen of satin, the strength of wool, and the softness of fine cashmere. In Barbados, it is produced by the aptly-named ECCI, Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean, Inc., which in 2004 built a new processing facility at Groves in St. George. ECCI is vertically integrated. It coordinates with local farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture; gins and bales the cotton lint; and ships it to Switzerland for production of yarns and some fabrics. Why there? “The Swiss weave fabric the way they make watches—expertly. With 400 years of practice, they do the finest job,” said the Product Development Manager of ECCI. Lint and yarn are sold onwards, especially to Italian and Japanese manufacturers. The resulting textiles are then turned into classic gents' dress shirts, socks, blouses, whisper-soft underwear, and supple knitwear. Among the rich and famous, WISIC has enjoyed great popularity in the UK and Japan for many years. ECCI also orders the production of specific yarns and fabrics to be returned to Barbados for sale to interior and clothing designers. In addition, ECCI has created its own “Caribbean Lifestyle” line of finished products, with design and construction taking place in Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and Antigua. From couture clothing to gifts and soft furnishings, these items are in turn sold by gift shops and spas in the top resorts. To learn more first-hand, contact the ECCI ginnery and visitor facility in Groves, St. George by calling 433-3108. Fascinating tours are given from February until the last week of April, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm. Finished products are also sold there, without the high markup. There you can get dressing gowns, shirts, handkerchiefs, tea towels, and more. You can also see beautiful wraps being hand painted by the resident designer, and even order the design of your choice. Cotton production in Barbados has come a long way since its origins nearly four centuries ago!