Natalie Chanin was promoting eco chic fashion long before it was cool. In fact, she was just awarded the first ever Eco Fashion Design award from the CFDA (ten years after she won the first ever CFDA/Vogue award in 2003). Natalie's journey didn't start as a designer (she was a stylist in Vienna for 10 years), but was led to the craft after a sabbatical left her in New York looking for a factory to hand stitch 200 t-shirts. Long story short: she could't find one and decided to sew them herself. On her search Chanin quickly realized how utterly unsustainable the fashion industry was, and shortly after founded Project Alabama, a group of "ladies" who merged the worlds of fashion and DIY all wrapped up in a lovely collection of completely handmade attire. She now runs Alabama Chanin from her hometown of Florence, Alabama.
For the third year of Makeshift, Natalie Chanin spoke with 2014 James Beard Award Winning Chef, Ashley Christensen in an attempt to connect the dots between fashion, design, DIY, and food. Let's be honest, foodies were talking about homegrown, handcrafted practices, and everyday ethics twenty years ago!
Take a peak at the event:
Natalie Chanin
Photos by Jesse.
