Alabama Chanin
Natalie "Alabama" Chanin is an American fashion designer from Florence, Alabama.[1] She is part of the zero-waste fashion movement. Her design company, Alabama Chanin , is a lifestyle company that produces well-designed and thoughtfully-made goods for the person and the home. The company uses 100% organic cotton jersey fabric in their designs, which is sourced sustainably from seed to fabric.[2] Chanin's "open source" philosophy means that patterns and techniques for her garments are openly available through books and workshops.[3]
Early life and education
Natalie "Alabama" Chanin was born and raised in Florence, Alabama. She has a degree in Environmental Design with a focus on industrial and craft-based textiles from North Carolina State University.[3] After graduation, Natalie worked in the junior sportswear industry on New York's Seventh Avenue, before moving abroad. For the next decade, she worked as a stylist and costume designer, traveling the globe.
Company
The company that has become what Alabama Chanin is today began in early 2000[4] with the creation of hand-sewn garments made from cotton jersey fabric. Alabama Chanin retains the same intention and integrity today. Pieces are made from 100% organic cotton, sewn by hand through a group of talented artisans who each run their own business, in their own time, and in their own way, using a cottage industry method of operation.[5]
Alabama Chanin is rooted in the tenets of the Slow design movement. Known for her "eco-chic" designs, Natalie launched the A. Chanin line in 2013.[6] In 2015, she expanded the machine-made garments line to include a home goods collection.[7]
Works
Published books by Alabama Chanin include:
- Alabama Stitch Book, 2008
- Alabama Studio Style, 2010
- Alabama Studio Sewing + Design: A Guide to Hand-Sewing an Alabama Chanin Wardrobe, 2012
- Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns: A Guide to Customizing a Hand-Stitched Alabama Chanin Wardrobe, 2015
References
- ↑ http://alabamachanin.com/natalie-chanin
- ↑ http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/billy-reid-and-alabama-chanin-sustainable-cotton-project/?_r=0
- 1 2 http://arts.gov/NEARTS/2014v2-story-our-culture-arists-place-community/natalie-chanin
- ↑ http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/01/18/alabama-chanin-profile
- ↑ https://blog.etsy.com/en/2012/alabama-chanin-a-cottage-industry-success-story/
- ↑ Luxe for less, Style Spy, March 2014 Southern Living FL6
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/garden/alabama-chanins-first-home-collection-in-more-than-seven-years.html