Since ancient times makers have adorned their most precious pieces with gold.  Egyptians overlaid their sarcophagi with gold leaf. The Chinese enveloped pottery and textiles in gold. Greeks and Romans embellished their marble and wood with this precious metal. The age-old craft of gilding has been practiced for centuries and it is these works, partnered… Read on

Swatch of the Month Inspiration featuring Journeys in Natural Dyeing: Techniques for Creating Color at Home; Kristine Vejar: Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns from the Alabama Chanin Journal Archives; June Swatch of the Month Exclusive: Naturally Dyed Embroidery Floss; “Shearing day at Sally Fox’s farm from A Verb for Keeping Warm Blog; The Slim Scarf Kit;… 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

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

From top left: “Shots from “Case Study House #8; Eames House”, 1949 by Charles and Ray Eames from Eames: Beautiful Details, 2012 by Eames Demetrios and Charles Eames, edited by Gloria Flower and Steve Crist (pages 374–375); The Willie Top and Celia Florence Skirt from Alabama Chanin; “Embroidery Design”, 1885 by May Morris via the Victoria… Read on

“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”― Meister Eckhart 2020 ushers in a new decade as well as the 20th anniversary of Alabama Chanin. As we prepare for the year ahead and celebrate Natalie’s two decades of commitment to sustainability, we wanted to take this opportunity… Read on

Twenty-five years ago, Diane von Furstenberg popularized the now-iconic wrap dress. Originally patterned after ballerina sweaters, the garment wraps around the torso, crosses at the chest, and cinches at the waist. The primary appeal of the wrap was that it flattered almost every body style and was worn by everyday women and celebrities alike. With… Read on

Our waffle knit styles have become some of our year-round, best-selling pieces. They can be styled for any season and are available in a range of colors to suit your preference. Waffle knit garments are comfortable enough to be worn for a cozy day at home and stylish enough to be worn to many events…. Read on

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.” ― Stanley Horowitz Autumn begings today in the North Hemisphere with the arrival of the Fall Equinox. The cool, crisp weather ushers in some of our favorite outdoor activities. This week we share a few of those,… Read on

We’ve had a fun (and colorful) month exploring natural dyes with Kristine Vejar through a series of projects from her book, The Modern Natural Dyer. Here’s a quick recap from our Journal, before we close out the month (which Kristine has tagged as #alabamachaninapril on Instagram) with a final project. – You can learn more… Read on

We continue our month-long exploration into natural dyeing with Kristine Vejar, author of The Modern Natural Dyer. Last week we created a Maggie Tunic project from fabric that was printed with flowers, and this week we highlight another project in The Modern Natural Dyer: the Iron Age Tank and Gilded Cardigan. Kristine chose to over… Read on

One of my favorite parts of design school back in the 1980s was the hand-dyeing class I took in the fall of my third year.  For me, it was a perfect combination of science and creativity that, to this day, I believe fostered some of my best work.  A few years later, after I graduated… Read on