About Avanti Avanti co., Ltd., founded on September 4th, 1985 operates in importing and marketing raw organic cotton (agricultural chemical-free organic cotton), planning, producing, and marketing yarn and fabrics, planning, producing, and marketing organic cotton items, and providing licenses. Avanti produces and sells organic cotton yarn, fabrics, and items that meet the customer’s needs. They exert their excellent creativity, planning, development, and production capacity by using reliable quality raw organic cotton, yarn, and fabrics to propose original items that will meet clients’ needs. They provide a quick service ranging from providing the estimation of the invoice for organic cotton novelty goods and sales promotion goods to planning the proposals and production that will meet customers’ budgets and purposes. Organic Cotton Business Avanti imports strictly selected organic cotton from all over the world. Of course, every field clears the strict criteria. Organic cotton has been cultivated in the field, free from pesticides or organic fertilizer for more than three years. Cow manure is used as an organic fertilizer for the soil of organic cotton fields. This makes it rich with bacteria, and the soil will become soft with a lot of nutrition. The farmer touches the soil, smells it, and sometimes licks it. He always checks if the soil is healthy. For the farmer, managing soil is also the most important work. In addition, Avanti doesn’t allow any kind of cotton seed to be genetically recombined. This is because unlike selective breeding, gene recombination is a technology to create a new species of living organisms. Avanti is always thinking about the future of the earth, aiming for the share of organic cotton to become 10% of the cotton in the whole world.
Among the top-selling products for Avanti, there is the Pancake Knit that sounds good, its touch is so soft and warm like a pancake. Oxford for shirts looks good, beautiful, and luxurious and its fabric makes high quality of humans. Finally, there is the Double gauze of twill, it is one of their long seller fabrics, and you can feel organic cotton. PRISTINE
PRISTINE, the original brand of Avanti, is creating final products with about 195 companies all over Japan from Iwate to Kagoshima. In addition, Avanti is able to realize high-quality craftsmanship by sharing the following policy with all the manufacturers: No dyeing PRISTINE products are not dyed. Without using chlorine-based bleaching agents, fixing agents, fluorescent whitening agents, and shrink-proof agents, they choose eco-friendly methods in all processes. Made in Japan Avanti is persistent to make things from yarn, cloth to final product in Japan in order to take advantage of techniques that have been taken over to Japan, and create things face-to-face safely and securely. Face-to-Face Manufacturing They manage the process history of finished products to know “when”, “where” and “by whom” they were made. Ladybug In the organic cotton field, ladybugs work as beneficial insects that eat harmful insects. Ladybugs are guardian angels of PRISTINE. Friendly Specification The design of “friendly specification” to both mind and skin. It doesn’t give stress to skin, washable at home, and long-lasting. It is full of friendly devices to be easily used in various situations. PRISTINE that debuted in 1996, is developing comfortable products that are good for your skin every day as a pioneer of organic cotton. Quality Criteria for Organic Cotton Avanti’s four Promises
Not genetically modified Not involved in child labor Protect the rights of workers Do not use chemical agents
Avanti’s organic cotton is directly imported mainly from Texas, U.S., where it is harvested. (Some of them were imported from India and Turkey.) In Japan, they do not have an environment where a sufficient amount of cotton can be grown stably. Therefore, Avanti imports cotton from foreign countries, and they produce the yarn to the final product in Japan. In Avanti, they feel that organic cotton from Texas has a very good quality. They only import the products which have passed the strict standard of the Department of Agriculture of Texas. Among them, the levels of quality are divided further, depending on the contamination rate of the cotton due to the leaf debris. Avanti tries to import products of the highest quality among them.
Communicating with the farmers is also essential for creating organic cotton of good quality. Ever since the import started in 1993, their representative, Chieko Watanabe visits the field every year to establish a relationship of mutual trust with the farmers. It is very important for farmers to know where their organic cotton will be delivered to, and what kind of products are made from them. The finished product greatly depends on whether or not they can imagine “the future of their daily work.” Avanti tells farmers about the company and its products and shares the awareness of creating things together with them. Persistence to “Made in Japan” Yarn The type of cloth is determined by the yarn. A different yarn will greatly change the expression of the cloth even if it is woven in the same way. Yarn making is vital to Avanti, a fabric manufacturer. They have traveled all over Japan, seeking unique yarn making. From thick ones (No. 7) to thin ones (No. 80), Avanti produces various kinds of yarns. Centralizing in 100% organic cotton, they are developing spun yarns with an elastic core, heather yarn of dyed cotton, and yarns using Supima cotton. Cloth At Avanti, they produce cloth using abundant Japanese technology from Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture to Imabari, Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, taking advantage of the features of each area. The cloth is roughly divided into two kinds; “fabric” which is a woven fabric, and “knit” which is knitted fabric. The organic cotton cloth that Avanti has developed counts up to more than 1,000 kinds. They always have about 350 kinds of cloth. The fabric and knit companies that are manufacturing their cloth deeply understand Avanti’s philosophy. Agreeing with their attitude, each company processes the material of organic cotton in its own way and finishes it to an attractive product. The cloth that Avanti proposes is dyed as little as possible. Since the oil content of the cotton is not removed more than necessary, the cloth is finished with a soft and thick texture. They always keep it in mind that the original color of the material should be taken advantage of.
Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA) The original brand PRISTINE agrees with the philosophy of the Japan Organic Cotton Association and creates things based on JOCA Charter. Charter of Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA) Cotton products that are in close contact with the people’s lives are delivered to customers with the help of many middlemen through spinning, weaving, knitting, processing, and three works of agriculture, industrial and commercial, taking a long time. Of all the processes, Avanti makes the best effort to protect the people and the environment. Through the spreading of organic cotton products, Avanti is committed to leaving the more beautiful earth to the children.
They use the raw cotton of organic cotton by managing pests and soil by the organic method using as little chemical agents as possible. They take the way with reduced load on the environment and the human body also in the manufacturing process of the organic cotton products. They should be persistent to “Made in Japan”, use the technique in Japan, and make the most use of the good quality of organic cotton. They make face-to-face manufacturing thorough, ensure traceability, and provide security and safety. They tell the goodness of organic cotton to more people and make an effort to spread enlightenment.
What is the Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA)? JOCA (Japan Organic Cotton Association) started as an association to think about what we should protect and what we should do through organic cotton in this 21st century, and take action. It is an association contributing to the preservation of the global environment with the spread of cultivation of organic cotton and the method of minimizing the environmental stress on its production process. About Organic Family Cotton Tag Avanti is a member of the Japan Organic Cotton Association. Its original brand PRISTINE was made by taking advantage of Japanese technology and sensibility in a way that is friendly to people and the environment, with the aim of spreading organic cotton based on the JOCA Charter. The tags proving its firm safety and security are attached to all products before delivering to you. In 1993, Avanti’s representative, Chieko Watanabe established the “Japan Texas Organic Cotton Association”, with the cooperation of nine domestic textile enterprises, and came in as the board chairman. In 2000 it was promoted to “NPO Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA)”, and she became the vice-chairman. She uses all her strength for the enlightenment and spreading of organic cotton products that are relied on by consumers. JOCA is aiming to increase the production of organic cotton by 10 percent and spreading production methods and recycling systems that are friendly to the earth. Avanti’s social business
Spread organic cotton Work is motivation in life. Leave the beautiful earth to children
Create Works For Tohoku Grandmas The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11th in 2011 took a heavy toll mostly on the Tohoku region and took many people’s lives, fortune, and works. It threatens their lives even now. To create “everyday works” together with those who fell victim to the disaster and create heartfelt interaction among people all over the country and children of next-generation through items created there, Avanti has started “Create works by Tohoku grandma” for the purpose of “creating jobs for the victims” from June 2011. They have produced Tohoku grandma’s Christmas ornaments. As a result, 25,000 items sold out in the initial year and Avanti paid about 8 million yen to about 50 Tohoku grandmas as labor charge. But, the following year, it became one-third of the initial year to be 8,000 items. These figures may show that Avanti’s memory is fading away. However now, they can accept OEM item production in addition to selling basic items of Christmas ornaments, charms, and Cotton babes. Avanti supports them for reconstruction and works together with grandmas in quake-hit areas eye to eye for one to two decades in the future and continues to “create Tohoku grandma’s works”. Avanti Farm Avanti farm grows organic crops such as “cotton”, “chamomile”, “soybean”, “rice” and “vegetables”. It’s important to grow them through tender loving care without violating natural laws. Originally, creatures should be grown in a sound and safe way (organic farming). Avanti thinks that “they can keep doing things if there is not too much burden”. If earth and creatures are burdened too much it will come to an end someday. They want to think more about living in harmony with nature and making life continue, to make earth all over Japan more healthy, and to make earth all over the world more healthy. Cotton: Avanti is engaged in producing organic cotton. To increase the self-sufficiency ratio, they have their plants grown all over Japan. They make sure to produce items using Japan’s raw materials. Chamomile: It’s bloomed when harvested. They deliver it to the “Mayweed research center” and it is reborn as “Kamitsuren”. Soybean: All the harvested soybeans are made into Miso soup. They made it with PRISTINE’s customers. Rice: They are engaged in producing organic cotton. To increase the self-sufficiency ratio, they get people to grow plants all over Japan. It’s their present goal to change the Cha cotton PRISTINE deals into domestic ones. Vegetables: Make vegetables to eat by themselves. They set self-sufficiency as a theme. They make them ready so that customers who come to their activity spot “Komoro eco-village” and PRISTINE shop can eat them. Avanti Bio Marche Avanti holds “Avanti Bio Marche” from May to November (the third Saturday once a month) in Komoro eco-village. This is the place to enjoy eating, to feel life's pleasure and the future. Avanti Bio Marche means ” the place where you can find the authentic items” and select and deliver safe and healthy items such as Avanti’s items (clothes), organic vegetables, naturally-made bread, additive-free food, and handmade small items. Feel the quiet sound and comfortable wind of nature. Hear the production story by seeing the producer’s face. Think about each small item. Shopping while doing such things is very comfortable. They also hold an event that customers and participants can enjoy after shopping. The event details are changed every time so you can have a fresh feeling to join the event. Put on comfortable clothes, enjoy having a delicious meal, have a talk, and smile in a comfortable space. “Avanti Bio Marche” aims to create an organic lifestyle space to nourish a rich mind. They have a faint hope that they can hold “Avanti Bio Marche” in various towns as well as Komoro eco-village in the future. Ekodomo Private Tutoring School Activities Ekodomo private tutoring school grows organic cotton with Shinshu university faculty of textile science and technology. They grow it by agricultural methods that don't use chemical agents and chemical fertilizer. So it’s a series of trial and error until they can understand “how to work with” Komoro’s climate and soil. They are thinking of holding a workshop in the future so that people can have experience from seeding to producing items. From the field to tables: They don’t have so many chances to use soil. They don’t think about how the crops are harvested, processed, and delivered to their tables. They just consume food in supermarkets. “Boo Foo Woo Village '' managed by Ekodomo private tutoring school provides the service to have an experience to go to the field, touch soil, plants, insects, and take care of crops. Your interest in food will be heightened if you know how the crops you grew, become “food”. Build a house by yourself: Ekodomo private tutoring school holds a workshop to build houses with professional architect’s advice and support. The straw house was built in 2013, the wooden house in 2014, brick house in 2015 in accordance with the “Boo Foo Woo Three Little Pigs” fairy tale. The experience to build houses should be the power to live. Komoro Eco-Village Philosophy
Building an eco-village in harmony with nature Supply green energy Growing and selling organic agricultural crops Education, prevailing and development of human resources Komoro’s original brand business using organic cotton fabrics Other businesses for the achievement of the goal
“Komoro eco-village (general incorporated association)” was established as the interaction place for cities and farming villages together with a non-profit organization “Solar power plant networks” and a local private organization “Komorohasu club”. It is Avanti’s main base for conducting social business. To realize the eco-friendly life in harmony with nature, they provide spaces to practice and learn sustainable lifestyles. Also, the Komoro eco-village is the base for “Avanti’s social business”. It’s the base for all their businesses such as agriculture, “Bio Marche in Komoro eco-village” and “exciting and relaxing Ekodomo private tutoring school” Where Can You Find Avanti’s Products? PRISTINE wholesales items are highly recognized not only by Japanese shops and companies but also by shops and companies overseas. Avanti has developed more than 1,000 kinds of cloth fabrics so far. Craftsmen all over the country make them in a respectful manner. Brands can directly source Avanti’s fabrics from CommonShare, the first sustainable sourcing solution for the textile industry. CommonShare’s mission is to enable a more efficient, less wasteful way of producing clothes and textiles. Their platform unites and aligns suppliers’ and buyers’ efforts and intentions with better network and commerce tools—providing forward-thinking buyers and brands a more optimal way to source fabrics. CommonShare’s streamlined approach to sourcing, not only provides transparency, but it connects you with like-minded suppliers who are more connected to your brand and its initiatives than ever.