Egyptian cotton

Long staple cotton includes Giza 86, Giza 89, and Giza 90. The good quality of these counts is similar to American Supima cotton: fiber length around 33 mm and from 4.3 to 4.9 micronaire. With these characteristics yarns can be produced up to Ne 50/1 and 70/1.

The famous extra long staple cottons, which are longer than 33 mm and of even higher quality, include Giza 45, Giza 70, Giza 87 and Giza 88. These varieties are capable of generating yarns with very fine counts yet are also very strong.

The quality of 100% Egyptian cotton is sought out by Filmar at its true origins, in the cotton farms Giza 45 and Giza 70, acquired directly by the company in Egypt.

"Egypt is the gift of the Nile", wrote Herodotus, referring to the great river as a source of inexhaustible fertility of the Earth.
In the hot, dry desert of the Sahara, the Nile has created an oasis that enjoys extraordinary weather conditions, ideal for producing the best cotton in the world. In the delta of the river, the climate has regular variations, with minimum winter rains. On average 190 mm of rain fall from October to April and are concentrated in a few days of very heavy rainfall. The relative humidity is quite high (60-70%), due to the humid breezes from the Mediterranean and brackish waters. The daily and annual temperatures ranges are low and even in winter there are no sudden temperature changes, thanks to the gentle winds from the sea.

Cotton is planted in late March when the weather is slightly cooler and is conducive to the growth of the lower branches on young plants, where the cotton bolls can grow in the shade of overhanging foliage, protected from the direct heat of the sun. In July and August, when the weather is warm to mild, the cotton fibers are more uniform and regular.
In September the cotton is harvested by hand in five stages, in each of which the bolls have matured just to the right point. The way the crops are looked after and the fact that they are harvested by hand means that the defoliants and other chemicals normally used in mechanical harvesting can be avoided.
Raw materials such as these are very precious and unfortunately the cotton bolls can become polluted with other fibers. It is thus the skills and expertise of the spinner, along with the technologies used throughout the processing cycle, that mean residual contaminants can be removed thus making the qualitative difference in the yarn spun. This is how Filmar for over 50 years has succeeded in their quest and passion in finishing this ancient and extraordinary basic raw material.

GIZA45 AND GIZA70
extra long staple

Similar in quality to Giza 70, Giza 45 is the best Extra Long Staple cotton, the "queen" of Egyptian cottons. In 1820, Mohammed Ali Pasha, the founder of modern Egypt, planted for the first time in Egypt, Sea Island cotton and Brazilian seeds - he was enthusiastic about the fabrics produced from these varieties of fibers.

The finest cotton in the world was born in Egypt, from the marriage of the world's best seeds with the unparalleled climate of this country. Giza 45 plants are cultivated only in a small area east of the delta of the Nile, representing 0.4% of the total annual production of Egyptian cotton.

Its long fibers (over 36 mm) are also extremely fine (2.95 micronaire) with a high degree of uniformity in the section (88.5%). Despite its fineness, Giza 45 is particularly strong: an average of 44.30 grams / tex. Its high level of resistance, its cleanness and regularity make Giza 45 uniquely excellent. It is an ideal cotton for the production of yarn and fine and hardy fabrics, with amazingly soft and silky weaves.

KARNAK MENOUFI
superior quality egyptian cotton

This antique Eyptian cotton, which is extraordinarily beautiful and rare, originates from the coastal zone in between lakes Burullus and Manzala.
This dark cotton, which seems almost mud-like and imbued with the amazing essence of lime, comes right from the Nile delta, the emblem of fertility. This is not a recurring gift of nature, on the contrary it is an exceptional harvest and an event that only happens when there is a favorable agro-cli­matic union, in soil that has particular bio-chemical characteristics and exposed to doses of sun and saltwater breezes from the lakes and sea nearby.

For ten years no cotton producer had been able to cultivate this essence. What used to be considered as a lost botanical treasure and the greatest expression of a bygone age of spinning, has now found new life. Filmar has been lucky to find a small quantity of real Karnak-Menoufi. But maybe it was really nature’s reward for so much dedication and passion shown over the years to this primary material and to its ancient land of origin, Egypt.

Today Filmar proudly presents this extraordinary product, with its uniquely spun characteristics, not found in any other place on the planet. This naturally cream colored cotton is a long staple, which means it can be spun in ultrasoft count ranges. Worked with experience, it produces unparalleled resistance of the yarns, soft weaves and absolute pliability. The mercerization shows off its natural shine, with pearly and iridescent reflections. The excellence of the work­manship and subsequent manufacture lead to unique and unrepeatable items of clothing, for those who can really appreciate the quality of the material.