Fashion Revolution Week is part of the year-round Fashion Revolution movement that encourages consumers to look more deeply into the fashion industry, with the ultimate intention of making clothing in a safe, clean, and fair way, the norm – across the world. This year, Fashion Revolution Week runs from April 23 – 29th and it… Read on

The global fashion industry is notoriously opaque, and it depends upon exploitation of workers and environmentally damaging practices. It is an issue that we’ve spoken of many times and one that drives us to do our very best to remain as transparent in our methods and materials as possible. But for us, there is also… Read on

Today, April 24, is the one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It has also been declared Fashion Revolution Day—celebrating best practices in the fashion industry and raising awareness of the true cost of fast fashion. In homage to the anniversary, we etched wax candles with our Anna’s Garden and Bloomers… Read on

Featured in Made It: The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion exhibition. From top left:  “Gilded Sapphire Celia Tunic”, 2019 by Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin, “Beaded Facets Coat”, 2006 by Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin, “Beaded Facets Coat Detail”, 2006 by Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin, “Sapphire Dot Leighton Skirt”, 2019 by 2019 by Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin, “Sapphire Dot Leighton Skirt Detail” 2019  2019 by Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin, and Lee Dress, 2017; Top right:… Read on

The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion: 250 Years of Design, 2020 by Peabody Essex Museum in collaboration with Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Rizzoli Electa, edited by Petra Slinkard.  Fashion was, is, and will likely always be a way to differentiate oneself in a world that often feels most comfortable with sameness and conformity. If clothing is indeed the “armor” that Bill Cunningham firmly believed it… Read on

A warm “thank you” to Laird Borrelli-Persson and Vogue for interviewing Natalie and including Alabama Chanin in their recent article, “How the #WFH Movement Could Reshape Fashion.” Read excerpts below and view the entire story here. Also big love to Vogue for uniting all 26 global magazine editions with a forward-looking theme of ‘hope’. (If… Read on

In her book, Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, author Dana Thomas explores the heart of the modern fashion world – exposing a fundamentally broken system, while also highlighting those who are developing solutions to deep-seated problems, and offering options for consumers on how to improve their shopping habits.   Thomas writes in… Read on

Sass Brown’s ReFashioned: Cutting Edge Clothing From Upcycled Materials, is the second in a series focusing on the eco-fashion movement. Previously, in Eco Fashion, she examined designers and labels (including Alabama Chanin) practicing sustainability in the fashion industry.  In ReFashioned, she features 46 international designers who create using recycled and upcycled textiles. The result is… Read on

In the book Eco Fashion, our friend Sass Brown celebrates and examines designers and labels practicing sustainability in the fashion industry, including Alabama Chanin (you might have recognized our hand-sewn garment featured on the cover). Sass offers several definitions for eco fashion—from slow design and traditional techniques to recycled, reused, and redesigned methods—and explores ecological… Read on

Last January, we had several conversations in our studio about punks and pirates spurred by Richard McCarthy’s analogy about pirates and “big food.” Just last week, the conversation continued in our studio about how the underground punk movement changed the way music was produced and delivered to the listening public. (More on this coming in… Read on

The Arts and Crafts in Contemporary Fashion and Textiles William Morris said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” This is the essence of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Joanne Ingersoll and The Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design have… Read on

From top left: “Dress for Mary Todd Lincoln”, 1861 by Elizabeth Keckley (pages 30–31); Evening dresses by Madeleine Vionnet, 1930–31 (pages 48–49); Afternoon dress; evening dress; ensemble; evening dress, 1930–31 by Jeanne Lanvin (pages 52–53); Left: Ensembles, 2018 by Mary Katrantzou; Right: Ensembles for Chloé, 2015–17 by Clare Waight Keller (pages 136–137);  Left: “Dress by… Read on

It is almost impossible for us to believe, but we have reached the fifth anniversary of the creation of Bldg. 14 – the manufacturing arm of Alabama Chanin. This has been one of our most collaborative enterprises and represents the elements of what our company stands for: sustainability, creativity, design innovation, promoting the living arts,… Read on

Penny Sandy joined Bldg. 14 this year and comes to us with a lifetime of sewing experience. She was born and raised in our community, learning to sew from her grandmother at a very young age. And while she moved away for a bit, Penny found her way back home. (That seems to be a… Read on

Now a member of our production team, Ryan Laine began working at Alabama Chanin in The Factory Café in 2016. Over time, she expressed interest in the making process, and she transitioned to the cutting department where she cuts the garment patterns for our hand-sewn garments and DIY Kits. Ryan was born and raised in Florence… Read on

Victoria McCoy grew up and was home-schooled in Huntsville, a city in northern Alabama located near Florence. She moved to Florence in 2010 to go to college where she received her degree in psychology from the University of North Alabama. Victoria uses her sewing skills to create costumes for local theater groups and is also… Read on

Luda Matmurtova has been a member of our production team since 2013. She moved to our community from Uzbekistan nine years ago and has incredible hand sewing and embroidery skills. Luda loves to bake cakes and meat pies, and we often find a freshly made dessert in our staff kitchen from her. She is an… Read on

“Demand quality, not just in the products you buy, but in the life of the person who made it.” – Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution Loss of life and destruction of natural resources have been the tolls paid by society for its reckless and exorbitant consumerism. “Fast fashion” and its lack of consideration… Read on

Ask yourself, “Who made my clothes?” And then, turn your garment inside out and find out.  Take a picture and share with the world. Check out Fashion Revolution and get involved. Save, copy, share, and spread the word… it’s easy.         P.S.: Can a hashtag change the fashion industry?

The Quilts of Gee’s Bend, by William Arnett, Alvia Wardlaw, Jane Livingston, and John Beardsley; Sewing machine folder from Alabama Chanin’s Building 14 production facility by Abraham Rowe; Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes by Dana Thomas; “Detail of fabric bolt”, 2013 by Rinne Allen; “The Ashcraft Mills Baseball Team”, date unknown courtesy… Read on

“It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine, and things pushing up and working under the earth…” —Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden, 1911  As we continue to settle in this winter, we are looking for ways to slow down, stay calm, be present, feel inspired, and soften…. Read on

From top left: Luna Rae Top in White Gold Palm; The Willie Top in Blue Slate; Waffle Caftan in Natural; Lightweight Organic Cotton Face Mask in Black; Left and bottom right: Lee Dress, 2017; Top right: Chandler Jacket and Austin Skirt, 2018 by Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin from The Women who Revolutionized Fashion: 250… Read on

Instagram: @alabamachanin  “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ― Nelson Mandela  If 2020 has shown us anything, it has been the resilience and courage of so many. It is with this spirit of hope that we move into 2021, but before the new year arrives, we reflect on our year at Alabama Chanin. As we look… Read on

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” ― Maya Angelou  Our #womenwhoinspire series on the Journal is an ever-growing collection of posts about inspirational women whose selfless actions, harrowing stories, and good works have bettered their communities and society as a whole. Expanding on this theme of amazing women, this… Read on

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart , Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature by Janine M. Benyus, Natural Capitalism: Creating The Next Industrial Revolution by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins, The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability by Paul Hawken, Strategy for Sustainability:… Read on

In 2017 and on a trip to New York City, I visited the Brooklyn Museum to view Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern. It was a beautiful spring day and before the thought of social distancing would come to rule our world. I was with a friend; we weren’t in a hurry.  As I passed the entrance… Read on

Founded last year as a non-profit, Project Threadways examines, documents, and records the history of textiles. In preparation for our next symposium, we have been researching textile history over millennia and the broader arc of time (look for updates next week). As we think ahead to the future, we can’t help but question how COVID-19 will forever… Read on

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.” ― Bob Hope The signs of a Christmas season in full swing are all around us: homes and Christmas trees are decorated with colorful lights, dinner menus are underway, presents are wrapped, suitcases are packed, and guest rooms are ready for family… Read on

“Alabama Chanin has evolved into a community… a company of farmers, fabric makers, artisans and our customers who support what we do.” — Natalie Chanin from the archives: W Magazine, 2011 With the excitement of a new Collection at the forefront of our minds, this week we take a few moments to reflect on all… Read on

Fashion accessories are one of the most effective ways for a wearer to add his or her personal style to an outfit. Over the years, traditional jewelry in gems and precious metals, bags, gloves, hats, stockings, even hair or tattoos have been used as some form of accessory—to define a “look” and express one’s mood… Read on

We have, over the years, done quite a bit of experimenting with natural dyes, and we try to integrate naturally dyed fabrics into our collections of low-impact dyed yardage whenever possible. We have also been lucky enough to benefit from the wisdom of many natural dye experts. Picking up from a conversation we had last… Read on

“Clothes are for real live women…They are made to be worn, to be lived in.” – Claire McCardell Claire McCardell is effectively the founder of American ready-to-wear fashion. Working from the 1930s through the 50s, McCardell was innovative because she designed clothing that was fashionable but also allowed women to move, breathe, and generally live… Read on

Our clothing today says much about who we are and—in some cases—what we believe in. To some, what they wear is of great importance and to others, not so much. But modern women in most Western societies have the agency to decide what to wear and how much meaning they assign to what they wear…. Read on

We previously shared The History of Tailoring and continue our series on fit with a comprehensive history of pattern making. In order to survive, human beings had to master the arts of creating and sustaining food, clothing, and shelter. As time went on, we became better at those tasks and began to create standards for what… Read on

Last fall, as an extension of our Makeshift initiative, we began a new series of events and conversations called On Design. The series explores art, design, makers, relationships, and the elevation of craft. Our conversation in January explored William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Here are some of Natalie’s thoughts from the presentation…. Read on

According to Wikipedia, supply chain is defined as “a system of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer.” At Alabama Chanin we strive to responsibly produce quality, sustainable products—at every level of the supply chain. We believe that responsibility means transparency and understanding where each material comes from… Read on

In follow-up to our EcoSalon post last Friday on Punks + Pirates, Alabama Chanin (AC) held a Facebook chat with Richard McCarthy (RM) of Market Umbrella to explore his interesting perspective on cultural assets, punks, pirates and the Spanish Armada.  I was first made aware of Richard’s work at the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium last… Read on