Advance Denim and Avalo Announce Multi-Year Partnership to Bring Low-Footprint Cotton to Denim

Two pioneers in water innovation — one in dyeing, one in growing — join forces to redefine what sustainable denim looks like from seed to store.

DURHAM, CA, UNITED STATES, July 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Advance Denim, the oldest denim mill in China and one of the most technically innovative in the world, has entered into a multi-year supply partnership with Avalo, an AI-powered agricultural technology company whose cotton varieties use dramatically fewer resources to grow. Together, they are combining two of fashion's most advanced approaches to water reduction — one at the factory, one in the field — and delivering the result to some of the world's largest retailers.

For nearly four decades, Advance Denim has set the pace for what is possible in denim manufacturing. Citing a desire to bring together high craftsmanship and high technology, the company has consistently pushed the boundaries of what a mill can do — in design, in performance, and in sustainability.

One of these critical sustainability innovations has focused on water. Indigo dyeing has historically been one of the most water-intensive steps in denim production. To address this, the company developed BigBox Dyeing, a proprietary process that reduces the water required for indigo dyeing by up to 95%. It is one of the most significant water-saving innovations in the history of the industry.

Now, Advance Denim is investing in this strategy further up the supply chain — to the cotton production itself. Avalo's approach to cotton starts with a simple premise: the best way to make cotton more sustainable is to evolve the plant. Using AI-powered genomic selection and computational breeding, Avalo develops non-GMO cotton varieties that are naturally more resilient — able to produce high-quality fiber using a fraction of the inputs conventional cotton requires.

The results are verified by Avalo’s recent third-party Life Cycle Assessment:

Zero irrigation — 100% reduction in water use compared to conventionally grown cotton
75% less fertilizer – A critical win for farmers in a year that the price of petroleum-based products is skyrocketing
47% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional cotton

This approach tackles Scope 3 emissions not through certification programs or offsets. It does so by matching “genetics by environment” in order to fundamentally reduce the CO2 produced in growing cotton.

In this partnership, all Avalo cotton supply is under the US Cotton Trust Protocol (USCTP) regenerative program and traceable through Textile Genesis, providing brands with the data they need to make credible sustainability claims throughout their supply chains.

Under the multi-year agreement, Advance Denim will serve as Avalo's Founding Mill Partner for the denim market across China, Vietnam, and Cambodia — giving them exclusive access to Avalo cotton as the brand scales. That cotton will be spun, woven, and finished by one of the industry's most capable mills, and delivered into denim programs for some of the largest fashion retailers in the world.

"Advance Denim has always believed that performance and sustainability are complementary — and Avalo is proof of that," said Amy Wang, General Manager of Advance Denim. "The fiber quality speaks for itself. But what truly made this an easy decision was the combination of Avalo's water reduction and their commitment to regeneration under USCTP and BCI Cotton. Given the increasing risks across the global supply chain, all big textile players need to prioritize these strategies in order to protect the future of fashion."

"Advance Denim represents exactly the kind of partner Avalo was built for," said Tricia Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Avalo. "They have proven for decades that they will not compromise on quality, and they have proven more recently that they will not compromise on sustainability either. When a mill of this caliber, serving global retailers, commits to Low-Footprint cotton as a strategic input, it sends a signal that the whole industry feels."
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About Avalo
Avalo is an agricultural biotechnology company using AI-powered genomic selection to develop climate-resilient, non-GMO crop varieties. Avalo's cotton is grown in the Texas High Plains without irrigation, using significantly less fertilizer — resulting in verified reductions in water use, fertilizer application, and carbon emissions compared to conventional cotton. Avalo cotton is certified through the US Cotton Trust Protocol and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) programs, and is fully traceable via Textile Genesis. Learn more at avalo.ai/cotton.

About Advance Denim
Founded in 1987, Advance Denim is the oldest denim mill in China and one of the most innovative in the world. With over 1,100 employees and manufacturing operations in China and Vietnam, the company supplies denim to renowned brands across the globe. Advance Denim is committed to blending heritage craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to create denim that performs and endures — for people and for the planet. Learn more at advancedenim.com.

Nick Schwanz
Avalo
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