King of Cotton was established in April 1995 in the UK having been founded in Northern Italy in the town of Gallarate as ‘Re di Cotone’, the Italian for 'King of Cotton' in 1880. At that time, it was owned by a businessman by the name of Alceste Pasta, and one of his key workers at the time was a Signore Pastorelli, who took over ownership upon the departure of Alceste.