Exclusive Cottons of Barbados
Exclusive Cottons of Barbados offers a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at a premium producer of cotton products. Even though other places undertake factory operations daily and also offer tours to the public; Exclusive Cottons of Barbados is one of the island's best-kept secrets.
If you take a drive through the countryside, many acres of agricultural land can be seen, most of them are dedicated to growing Barbados' world-famous sugarcane but many acres are also covered by cotton plants. In fact, there is a vibrant cotton industry in Barbados and the cotton grown here is ranked among the finest in the world. Our strain of high-quality cotton - called West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) - is a species of Gossypium Barbadense and has properties that are so unique that the cotton produced from these spectacular plants is internationally certified - a testament to its quality.
Growing the product requires a warm climate, high humidity and high rainfall. Crops take roughly four to six months for white masses of fluffy fibres to emerge indicating they are ready to be harvested. After harvesting the clusters of cotton fibres by hand, they are taken to the factory to be prepared in a very delicate process at the recently updated facility.
Tours of the ginnery take you through the steps of processing the cotton to its usable state, the technically grounded tour is informative, interesting and very educational. Like many of the raw materials produced in Barbados, cotton has to be exported for the final products to be made.
Once exported, the West Indian Sea Island Cotton is then used to make fine towels, sheets and clothing among other things. The texture and quality of the unique cotton make it a valuable and well sought after commodity, often considered as a “luxurious textile”. The entire process of getting the cotton from the fields to its new life as some article of clothing or accessory has happened for several years and is a huge part of the island's history; A true symbol of Barbados’ Pride and Industry. The luxury and lavishness of the fabrics made from the Exclusive Cottons of Barbados have served royalty.
When the tour of the ginnery is over, there is an on-site showroom that provides many of the elegant cotton products for purchase. The option of personalizing items with different types of art is also available, as well as online purchase and shipping.
Thanks to the hardworking staff and their diligent efforts every day, the high standards of the products manufactured from Exclusive Cottons of Barbados are maintained. These lovely individuals are also the heartbeat of the tour as their friendliness makes the experience more enjoyable. Visiting the Exclusive Cottons of Barbados ginnery is an exciting experience that is sure to pique your interest in what goes into the lovely clothing that you wear or give you a new appreciation for the art behind it.