In 1982, while working as a pollinator for a cotton breeder in California, Sally Fox (@vreseis / @sallyfoxfibre) discovered a strain of naturally brown cotton. Intrigued by its beauty and potential, she cultivated a range of naturally colored varieties—cotton that could be machine-spun without the use of pesticides, bleach, or synthetic dyes. Over decades of careful crossbreeding and stewardship, Fox has developed a palette of sustainable cottons, naturally grown in colors that range from warm browns to soft greens and reds. Her work has endured beyond trends, business and regulatory hurdles, guided by a quiet determination to lessen the environmental toll of cotton production and to celebrate the beauty of nature’s raw materials. Today, under the Foxfibre mantle, Sally continues to develop new cotton varieties. The brown cotton she bred is now grown in New Mexico by the skilled farmers at Alvarez Farms and spun into yarn by Taishoboseki (@taishoboseki) in Japan. We’re proud to stand alongside a new generation of brands helping to revive this thoughtful approach to textiles. The video in the post is an excerpt from the Smithsonian’s documentary on Sally’s process, made in 1997. The complete video is linked in our bio and additional information can be found on her YouTube page and website.