Our Supply Chain

At Kotn, we believe that traceability—the knowledge of where a product came from, who made it, how, and when—shouldn’t be a luxury, but a standard. Yet according to Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index, only 11% of fashion brands know the source of their raw materials.

That’s why we built Kotn from the ground up, starting with the farmers who grow our natural fibres. By bypassing the traditional middle people and ensuring a clear chain of custody we’re able to maintain the best business practices for our community, guaranteeing living wages, safe working conditions, fair treatment, and environmental transparency at every step.

Think of it like farm-to-table, but for your clothes.

Step 1: Raw Materials

The root of it all: the raw materials are the main ingredient in every piece. As in most industries, fashion production is a race to the bottom, the supply chain being squeezed to increase margins up top. This affects the farthest removed level of the supply chain most, the farms and raw material providers. Hidden behind levels of subcontractors, corners are cut, and social and environmental risks are taken, mostly unseen and out of mind.

We started Kotn working directly with smallholder cotton farmers in the Nile Delta, Egypt, and we still do today. We’ve expanded our on-the-ground personal relationships to 5,127 farmers throughout the Nile Delta and Faiyum regions, working with them to best serve their business and community needs, helping us both grow sustainably.

Learn How We’re Doing So

Harvesting season in the Nile Delta, Egypt.
Our yarn milling facility in Alexandria, Egypt, where the raw cotton arrives from the farms. Here it will be stored, cleaned, carded and coiled into fabric yarn ‘cones’.

The raw cotton.
As we’ve grown as a brand, we’ve expanded our assortment, too, to offer additional and equally remarkable natural fibres beyond our namesake Egyptian cotton. In these cases, we source our fibres through certified organizations, like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and the Global Recycle Standard (GRS), which maintain the same direct-to-origin relationships as we do in Egypt, ensuring the best treatment for the farmers and the land around them.

Explore our Fibres

Step 2: Yarn Milling

From the farms, our raw cotton is taken in large bails to the yarn mills. Here, the cotton bolls are cleaned, carded—a process of sorting and lining up fibres—and coiled into thick ropes, which are then stretched and spun into finer and finer strands that result in our yarns.

Cotton fibres are pressed into large cubes after being combed and carded at our knit yarn mill.
This automated ‘cone’ making process refines the yarn into a thin and resistant thread.

Iman, Senior Marketing Executive at our yarn mill. “My favourite part of the job is meeting our customers, fulfilling their project needs so that they are happy! Outside of work I spend most of my time with my family.”

Stage 3: Fabric Mills

After the yarns are spun onto spools they are woven or knit into large rolls of fabric. Each fabric mill specializes in either knitting or weaving techniques, some also dyeing the materials in-house.

The fabric milling machine in Alexandria, Egypt.

Stage 4: Dyeing

After the fabrics are knit or woven, they are dyed from the unfinished greige tone of the natural cotton to our core and seasonal colours. All of our dyes are OEKO-TEX® non-toxic certified, ensuring they’re safe for you and the earth.

A dyed roll of fabric being steamed at our Dyehouse in Obour, Egypt.

The last steps in the dyeing process: cutting and folding.

Stage 5: Construction

Where the garment comes to life. At our cut & sew and soft tailoring facilities, we create a series of prototypes before finalizing the design and fit. From there, patterns are printed, pieces are cut, and the finished item is sewn or knit into its final form.

Digital pattern making for a knit product prototype in Porto, Portugal.

A knitted sample, emblazoned with Kotn.
Safeya, Sewing Machine Operator for 2 years in Alexandria, Egypt. “My favourite part of my job is being able to work with my friends.”

Sewing station at our cut & sew in Porto, Portugal.

Explore Our World

Our Farms

Building lasting communities with our cotton farmers, from the ground up.

Explore More
Our Partners

The backbone of our business. Where our yarn is spun, fabric is knit, and pieces are brought to life.
Our Schools

Through The ABCs Project, we’re funding education with every order for the communities that farm our cotton.

Learn How