Natalie "Alabama" Chanin is best known as the co-founder of the American couture line Project Alabama. Her designs for hand-sewn garments constructed using quilting and stitching techniques from the depression-era south have been lauded for both their beauty and sustainability. Made from recycled materials by artisans located near Natalie’s home in Florence, Alabama, Project Alabama designs earned accolades from peers as a finalist for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion and was selected as one of 10 fashion companies for the Council of Fashion Designers in America/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2005.
In late 2006 Project Alabama ceased operations in Alabama. Natalie left the company and launched Alabama Chanin where she continues to create limited-edition, rendered-by-hand, jewelry, clothing, home furnishing and textiles using a mixture of recycled and organic materials with local talent. Based on the thought that good design should be a part of everyday living, Alabama Chanin gives modern context to techniques that have been passed down through generations of women and men.
The artisans who work with Alabama Chanin represent this generational span. Stitchers aged in their early 20s work alongside those in their late 70s, producing garments in the spirit of the traditional quilting bee. Each collection emphasizes quality of cut, detail, craftsmanship, and style and each piece is a labor of love signed by the artisan who hand-stitched every seam.
Natalie has a Degree in Environmental Design from the NC State University College of Design and was named its 2007 Distingushed Alumna. She works simultaneously as designer, manufacturer, stylist, filmmaker, mother, artisan, cook and collector of stories from her home in Florence, Alabama.
