A Japanese shirtmaker has launched a new product made of Australian cotton. Photo: Kamakura Shirts

JAPANESE shirtmaker, Kamakura Shirts, has launched its first premium pure white shirt product made from Australian cotton following a collaboration with industry body, Cotton Australia.

The partnership came to fruition thanks to the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement and support from the Consulate-General of Australia in Osaka.

The company has been making shirts since 1993 at its garment factories in Japan.

Kamakura Shirts chief executive officer Nanako Sadasue said the quality of Australian cotton made it the ideal raw material for the new line of shirts.

“Sustainable Australian cotton is the ideal cotton we have been seeking for years,” Ms Sadasue.

“We would like to spread the word about its great features to customers across the world.”

Kamakura Shirts has sourced Australian cotton because it is clean and relatively contaminant free, which means chemical use is minimised when dyeing fabric, and wearers can “feel the natural whiteness of cotton”.

The company typically used extra-long staple cotton for its shirts, and had to find new ways to spin Australian materials into fabric.

After three years of research, the shirtmaker developed a new spinning technology to ensure that even shorter yarns, commonly produced in Australia, can be used for their shirts.

Cotton Australia chief executive officer Adam Kay said the launch was another example of the global demand for premium Australian cotton.

“We are pleased to work with these Japanese companies and Austrade in bringing these new shirts to market, and we welcome enquiries from all manufacturers who are trying to find the best cotton for their products,” Mr Kay said.

Australian Consul General in Osaka, Trevor Holloway, said the launch built on the strong economic relationship between Australia and Japan.

He said it recognised that Australia’s cotton industry, while complying with the world’s strictest certification standards, also places sustainability at the very core of its business.

“Over many years, producers have been developing innovative technologies and accumulating know-how needed to improve quality and reduce the resources used to achieve the highest crop yields and proudly deliver world class  Australian cotton,” Mr Holloway said.

Source: Cotton Australia