URPIMA SEA ISLAND® COTTON and STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND® COTTON
Classified among the best extra-long staples (ELS) of the world.
FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
STEFAN BRANDT ANNOUNCES THE WORLD’S RAREST AND MOST LUXURIOS COTTON, CULTIVATED AT THE ANCIENT BIRTHPLACE OF SEA ISLAND HERITAGE
Quito Ecuador — 2025
Luxury textile innovator Stefan Brandt announces a historic breakthrough in global cotton cultivation with the introduction of two extraordinary fibers: STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️ and URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️. Grown at the original birthplace of the legendary black-seeded Gossypium barbadense in coastal Ecuador, these textiles represent a return to origins, a triumph of agricultural precision, and a milestone in modern luxury manufacturing.
Rediscovering the World’s Finest Cotton
Sea Island cotton is widely recognized as the rarest and most exquisite cotton on earth, known for exceptional softness, unmatched staple length, and a natural silky sheen. Archaeological evidence traces its earliest domestication to the Valdivia civilization in Ecuador over 4,400 years ago.
In 2012, while traveling through this ancestral region, Stefan Brandt rediscovered the original “black seed” cotton growing wild— setting in motion a decade-long journey to restore the fiber to its natural habitat and reclaim its legendary qualities.
A Bold Vision: Cultivating Luxury at the Source
Determined to achieve absolute control over quality, Brandt initiated an agricultural venture in Ecuador to cultivate luxury cotton at its exact historical origin. Today, this project is poised to scale across tens of thousands of hectares and has been recognized as a national asset of profound value to Ecuador.
2022: Introducing URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️
Pima cotton’s global story begins in Ecuador, from which point Gossypium barbadense migrated north in the first millennium A.D., eventually reaching the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. There it hybridized into Mit Afifi—the ancestor of Egyptian cotton—which later gave rise to Yuma, renamed Pima.
In 2022, Brandt brought this lineage full circle by returning the seed—carrying ancient Ecuadorian genetics—back to its birthplace. Restored to its native climate, the cotton regained a vigor and purity found nowhere else in the world. The result is URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️, a luminous, exceptionally-strong Pima fiber with authentic Sea Island heritage.
2025: The Return of the Original “Black Seed” — STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️
In March 2025, Brandt further advanced his mission by reintroducing the original West Indies Sea Island “black seed” cotton strain to Ecuador. Thriving instantly in its natural equatorial environment, the resulting fiber surpassed every known benchmark in global cotton performance.
According to international fiber data banks, the Ecuador plantations now produce the two rarest and most valuable cotton varieties in the world:
- STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️ — staple length over 50 mm
- URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️ — staple length over 45 mm
(both measured at a 2.5% classification staple)
These extraordinary measurements set a new global standard for purity, uniformity, and luxury.
The “Holy Grail” of Ginning Technology
To preserve the integrity of these rare fibers, Stefan Brandt pursued the world’s gentlest ginning method: the historic PLATT BROTHERS ginning machines—legendary English equipment once used to produce knickerbocker fabrics for the British royal family and even Queen Victoria’s Sea Island handkerchiefs.
After years of searching globally, Brandt located the last functioning PLATT BROTHERS machines in private ownership—an acquisition considered the “Holy Grail” of cotton craftsmanship. Their slow, delicate processing ensures the fibers remain perfectly intact, resulting in cotton with a softness reminiscent of cashmere or silk and the strength of premium long-staple cotton.
Sustainable by Nature
Grown in the exact climate where Sea Island cotton originated, these plants require no artificial irrigation and no diversion of waterways, leaving an exceptionally-low ecological footprint.
A Fully-Vertical Luxury House
Stefan Brandt’s operations represent one of the few truly vertical luxury supply chains in the world. From seed cultivation to textile innovation, fabric production, design, tailoring, and final garments, every stage is executed under one unified vision.
This structure delivers measurable quality advantages and enables pioneering techniques now considered groundbreaking across the fashion industry.
A New Era in Luxury Textile Craftsmanship
With the restoration of the world’s rarest cotton varieties to their ancestral home, Stefan Brandt marks the beginning of a renaissance in textile excellence, uniting ancient heritage with modern innovation to create fibers unrivaled in softness, luster, and strength.
FOR RETAIL PARTNERS
INTRODUCING THE WORLD’S RAREST LUXURY COTTONS: STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️ & URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️
Stefan Brandt is proud to present a breakthrough in luxury textiles
Two exclusive cotton varieties cultivated at the original birthplace of true Sea Island cotton on the coast of Ecuador. These fibers—produced in extremely-limited quantities—offer retailers an unmatched product story rooted in heritage, innovation, and measurable quality.
A Cotton Story Found Nowhere Else
Sea Island cotton is recognized as the most luxurious cotton on earth. Its origins trace back more than 4,000 years to Ecuador’s Valdivia civilization and the legendary black-seeded Gossypium barbadense.
Today, Stefan Brandt has restored this cotton to its natural habitat, achieving extraordinary fiber characteristics that exceed every global benchmark.
Retailers gain access to a narrative consumers instantly respond to: rarity, authenticity, and true craftsmanship.
2022: URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️ — A Reinvention of Pima Cotton
Pima cotton originated from Ecuador’s black-seed heritage before migrating through the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Egypt, and finally the U.S. Southwest. In 2022, Stefan Brandt brought this historic seed lineage back to Ecuador.
In its native climate, the cotton regained an exceptional luster, strength, and staple length—resulting in URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️, a premium Pima fiber with genuine Sea Island DNA.
2025: STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️ — The Return of the Original Black Seed
In 2025, the original West Indies “black seed” Sea Island cotton was reintroduced to Ecuador’s equatorial environment. The results were unprecedented:
- STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️ achieves staple lengths over 50 mm
- URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️ achieves staple lengths over 45 mm
(independently measured at a 2.5% classification staple)
These measurements rank both fibers among the rarest and most valuable cottons on earth, with performance characteristics that translate directly to superior hand-feel, drape, and longevity.
A Material That Sells Itself
Retail teams can confidently speak to:
- Cashmere-like softness
- Silk-like sheen and natural luster
- Exceptional strength and longevity
- Uniformity that produces noticeably smoother fabrics
- Extremely limited global availability
For clients seeking the pinnacle of luxury basics or elevated wardrobe staples, these qualities create instantly-perceptible value and repeat purchase behavior.
Hand-Picked & Heritage Ginning: Why It Matters in Retail
Each cotton boll is hand-selected over a 50-day harvest period, ensuring only fully-mature fibers are used. This yields a tactile difference customers can feel immediately in store.
To protect fiber integrity, Stefan Brandt acquired the last functioning PLATT BROTHERS ginning machines—the same technology once used to create Sea Island garments for the British royal family. This gentle process preserves fiber length and sheen, resulting in fabrics with visibly higher quality.
For retailers, the story is compelling, demonstrable, and differentiating.
A Fully Vertical Luxury House
From seed cultivation in Ecuador to textile innovation, fabric production, design, and finished garments, every step occurs within the Stefan Brandt ecosystem.
This verticality ensures:
- Unmatched quality consistency
- Controlled production volumes
- Precise replenishment capabilities
- Supply chain transparency and traceability
Retail partners benefit from a product with true scarcity, clear differentiation, and a brand narrative that resonates with discerning customers.
A New Standard for Retail Luxury
The introduction of STEFAN BRANDT SEA ISLAND®️ and URPIMA SEA ISLAND®️ marks a new era in luxury cotton garments: rooted in origin, elevated by innovation, and proven through measurable performance.
Retailers now have access to the most exceptional cottons ever produced at commercial scale, offering customers a product experience unlike anything else in the global market.
