The best things in life are grown close to home. The story of Red Land Cotton begins in the red clay of North Alabama and stretches all the way to your linen closet.
Anna’s father has been farming since the early '80s. For generations, their land has provided—feeding not just their family, but the community. But in 2015, something shifted. Around the holidays, Anna’s dad approached her with a new vision: what if they could use the cotton they were already growing and turn it into something lasting—something beautiful?
Anna had a background in design and advertising, graduating from Auburn University and spending a chapter of her life in New York before she and her fiancé moved to Nashville. Although she held a salaried job at the time, his idea for their cotton stuck with her. When Anna’s aunt casually commented on an Instagram photo saying, “I’d love some crisp white sheets made of this Alabama cotton,” the seed for Red Land was planted.
The next year Anna went all in. She and her family built a supply chain from scratch—consulting with Cotton Incorporated, and meeting with spinners and finishers across the South. It took six months, 20,000 yards of fabric, and sheer determination. They launched their first product that October with a humble Squarespace site and a series of charcoal product images that Anna had drawn herself. By the time the first shipment arrived, they had already pre-sold 200 sets of sheets. The whole family—Anna, her mom, and sister-in-law—packed every box by hand.
That first holiday season was a hit. But like many small brands, the months that followed tested them. Anna quickly realized that to survive, Red Land Cotton needed more than a good product—it needed smart, strategic marketing, strong operations, and a deep understanding of direct-to-consumer business. From email and SMS campaigns to retargeting on Meta, she immersed herself in all of it.
When a key weaving mill closed early in their journey, it became painfully clear just how fragile the American supply chain had become. But instead of folding, they doubled down. More than making quality sheets—they wanted to invest in the revitalization of American manufacturing and support U.S. cotton farmers like them. Out of the 14 million bales of cotton grown in the U.S. today, only a fraction are processed here. Red Land Cotton is determined to change that.
During the heart of the pandemic, they made their boldest move yet—opening their own cut-and-sew facility in a small Mississippi town. They took over an abandoned 37,000 square foot building, hired local workers, and brought the old machines back to life. That decision has been one of the defining moments of their growth.
Now Red Land Cotton has two cut-and-sew facilities and a team of 54 employees, including remote members in New York and Florida. From North Carolina yarn spinners to Missouri quilt makers, every step of their process supports American jobs.
Their heart? It’s still in Alabama where her brothers farm the cotton with their father, her sister-in-law helps run operations, and Anna juggles many roles from designer to business leader to mom of three. The Brakefields are the model of a family business through and through.
Their signature product, the basic set set, remains the crown jewel. Woven with precision and finished with love, it’s the set their customers return to year after year. But their offering has grown with their classic quilt and American-made blanket. Only 20% of the cotton they grow meets the standard for Red Land products, and they’re honest when they have to source from elsewhere. Every fiber tells the truth.
Red Land Cotton is approaching its 10-year anniversary. What began as a farmer’s dream and a daughter’s leap of faith has become a beacon of what American-made can be. Their mission remains clear: strengthen the supply chain, invest in domestic manufacturing, and make products that are as timeless as they are trailblazing.
As Anna puts it, some days she feels confident, some days uncertain—but every day, she knows why they got started. Because family matters. Quality matters. And homegrown, handcrafted American textiles? They matter too. Visit their website at redlandcotton.com.
