Olah to Market Two Cotton Brands
Olah Inc., the New York–based global textile and apparel development and marketing firm and producer of the Kingpins denim sourcing trade show, has signed a 10-year licensing agreement to market FiberMax and Stoneville, two cotton brands developed by Bayer CropScience.
Under the agreement, Olah will use the cotton brands to develop new products that target the apparel and home-furnishings markets in North America, Mexico and Japan.
According to a release from Bayer CropScience, FiberMax is a long-staple cotton suited for products such as T-shirts, chinos, towels and bed sheets. Stoneville is best suited for use in heavier textile fabrications, such as those used for denim, outdoor apparel and sports garments.
The products developed and marketed by Olah will focus on educating consumers through an online presence as well as through the use of hangtags. The branding will allow consumers to identify products using FiberMax and Stoneville as well as provide insight into the cotton’s origin, the release said.
“Together, Olah Inc. and Bayer CropScience will create a unique connection between cotton producers, spinners, merchants, textile manufacturers, retailers and consumers,” said Joachim Schneider, head of the BioScience business group at Bayer CropScience, in a statement. “And Bayer CropScience will continue to invest heavily in growing its cotton business, including new research-and-development innovations targeted at improving fiber quality, yields and stress tolerance.”
Olah Chief Executive Andrew Olah said creating that sense of transparency is revolutionary in today’s apparel industry.
Financial terms of the license were not made public, but the release said Olah may sublicense the FiberMax and Stoneville brand names and may be able to extend its license to additional countries in the future.
Olah has been showcasing FiberMax cotton during its Kingpins shows. The boutique denim sourcing shows—held in Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong and New Delhi—attract designers from the premium denim, sportswear and high-end sportswear markets.—Erin Barajas
