Natalie Chanin releases the third book in her sewing trilogy.

It’s no secret we have a thing for Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin here on EcoSalon.

An entrepreneur, designer, author, lecturer and strong businesswoman who went back to her roots in Florence, Alabama to stimulate local economy (as well as her own quest for a little life/work fulfillment), Natalie is a one-woman rocket ship of sustainable goodness.

In her third book Alabama Studio Sewing + Design, we get to pick up on the “conversations and techniques begun with the Alabama Stitch Book and Alabama Studio Style.” With each book lending itself to the other as to the workings and lifestyle of the Alabama Chanin woman, readers of all three books will now have the tools to make anything they’ve ever seen on the Alabama Chanin site – minus the in-house Depression Era stitchers.

We caught up with Natalie this past week to tell us more about her new DIY masterpiece. Speaking of that book, did we mention that we’re also giving a copy away? It’s no lie. Just leave a comment at the bottom of this story and you are entered to win!

How is Alabama Studio Sewing + Design different from the Alabama Stitch Book and Alabama Studio Style?

Alabama Studio Sewing + Design is really the culmination of what was originally seen as a trilogy.  Each book builds on the other, but also stands on its own.  However, this book is more about the actual “fashion” of what we do… more intricate, more sophisticated, more patterns, more techniques…

With the compilation of the three books, you should be able to recreate any fabric and technique that we have ever designed at Alabama Chanin.

Talk about the importance of sharing “techniques that were once understood as essential survival skills?” Have we as a society lost touch with the importance of using our hands to create?

There is much talk at the moment about how being able to “do” or “make” for ourselves also makes us HAPPY.  I believe that this is a huge leap in understanding human behavior and a missing piece in our role as human beings today.  How simple: develop the capacity to do for yourself (in whatever small way) AND build neural pathways to happiness. I think back to my grandmother’s ever-moving hands and her pride in doing for her family and it makes me sigh… “Yes, I understand.”

I see the open-sourcing you offer in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design working for Alabama Chanin in two ways: 1., It gives people the opportunity to own Alabama Chanin by making and 2., it gives people an appreciation for what you do as a designer. Am I right?

The original thought in writing the books was to empower people to be able to make our garments.

I wrote in the introduction: “I have been asked many times why I choose to write books and, in the process, open-source (that is, freely share) instructions for making Alabama Chanin’s couture collections. The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. It is based on my belief that good design should be available to all and my desire to build a company that is sustainable in all of its practices. By sharing our skills in these books, I hope to shed light on not only how we can preserve precious natural resources but also how we can preserve and protect techniques that were once understood as essential survival skills.

 While Alabama Chanin dresses, skirts, tops, and coats have been beautifully featured in countless magazines and newspapers, and on television shows and websites, they have also been criticized for being “elitist,” and “inaccessible” because of their price. Truth be told, our clothing is extremely expensive. This is because it is made from domestic, organic, custom-dyed cotton jersey that is cut, painted, sewn, and embellished by hand in America by skilled artisans. And while we sell our collection to some of the most upscale stores and clients, we run our business in the most down-to-earth, simple way imaginable. In the beginning, we worked from a three-bedroom, brick, ranch-style house in rural Alabama, a home that my grandfather built. Today we work from a reclaimed textile factory built in the 1980s—when manufacturing was booming in the South. Our studio—which we call The Factory—has become a busy hub, where we concentrate on building a zero-waste company. Our employees earn a living wage, and while none of us is getting rich, at least in terms of our bank accounts, we are, indeed, rich in spirit, belief, passion, and friendship. “Elitist” is the antithesis of how the company works and who I am as a designer, entrepreneur, and citizen.”

 The piece I think you initially understood – better than I – is that the books have ALSO given a broader range of people an appreciation of the work we are doing. Thank you.

Do you see the DIY movement getting stronger? Is this maybe an entire generation of women ready to use their hands again to create their own clothing and be a little more self-sufficient?

I do see DIY as a very quickly growing movement – or should I say, a “remembering” of where we come from. And I find it very inspiring to see people – young and old, man and woman – searching for their voices in this conversation and using these tools as a form of sustainability – both cultural and physical. My interest in this conversation is to help find the intersection of DIY, Craft, Fashion and Design (all with capital letters).

Image: Abrams Books

The post Natalie Chanin Releases Alabama Studio Sewing + Design (And We’re Giving It Away!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

ExclusiveEcoSalon partners with top green companies for an amazing Earth Day product offer and charity donation.

We’ve brought together some of the best, most desirable eco-conscious brands to give you The Box: a full sized exclusive assortment of home, fashion, beauty, fitness and body products to keep all to yourself or to give for Mother’s Day. No sample sizes here, honey.

This is a one-of-a-kind offer you won’t find anywhere else. We’ve been hard at work all month with the companies below to score you an exclusive $500 worth of in-demand green goodies for just $99! The conscious brands included wanted you to discover their best products, and we wanted to treat our readers to a fantastic spring shopping deal. And thus, The Box was born.

Secure your order today as it’s first come, first serve. Supplies are extremely limited. You’ll want to order today especially, because in honor of Earth Day, 10% of all Earth Day proceeds will go to the Waterkeeper Alliance, a powerful group making way for “Communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally.” The vision of the Waterkeeper movement is for fishable, swimmable and drinkable waterways worldwide. (Please go to their site to learn more.)

Just what’s in this Box? You won’t believe it. Here’s what EcoSalon and our brand partners have put together just for you!

Envirosax Reusable Bags

Envirosax is proud to help protect the environment for tomorrow’s generations by providing an eco-friendly alternative to disposable shopping bags. Be the envy of all at the farmers’ market, or anywhere you need a bag, with these bags in pops of rich, saturated, cheerful floral colors. These Origami bags offer a spring palette of flamingo, raspberry pink, and key lime. We’re just getting started. Ready? Read on.

(Retail value of $8.95)

Coola Chemical Free Sunblock

Coola’s mineral sunblock with an SPF of 30 is a sheer and natural mineral sunblock that delivers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection for the whole body. Says Coola: “This unique formula gives your skin an army of time-released Vitamin C – nature’s powerful antioxidant that helps reduce visible aging by battling damaging free radicals.”

Rated by EcoSalon Beauty Editor Katherine Butler as one of her top eco-friendly suncare products!

(Retail value of $34)

GreenSmart’s Akepa Accessory Pouch/iPad Carrier

GreenSmart’s accessory pouch is is perfectly sized to fit an iPad and is also well-suited for cables, power supply sources, extra drives or batteries. The padded Neogreene construction and the plush lining provide a protected, organized pouch to hold all the things that make your mobility possible. We love Greensmart’s Neogreene for its lack of phthalates, VOCs, chlorine, and metals that are traditionally present in neoprene, and we also love that the company uses 25% less energy to manufacture and 25% less petroleum to produce their products.

You will, too!

(Retail value of $19.95)

Sir Richard’s Vegan Condoms

Sir Richard’s believes safe sex is a basic human right and with only a fraction of the global demand for condoms being met each year, they’re donating one condom for every one sold to patients in Haitian healthcare centers. Healthcare providers in the settlement camps and clinics have expressed a need for more free condoms to keep a probable surge of new HIV infections from happening in the post-disaster regions of the country. That the condoms are made from 100% natural latex and without the dairy product casein, which coincidentally also makes them vegan-friendly, is just the sexy sugar on top.

(Box of 3, retail value of $6)

Loomstate’s BLANK V-Neck Tee

Quite possibly the best t-shirt going, Loomstate’s BLANK V-Neck in Eclipse Purple will be one of many you collect for your t-shirt drawer. Made from 100% organic cotton and detailed with signature Loomstate skewed seams, this insanely soft tee features the perfect length, perfect sleeve and perfect neckline. It’s almost as if they created it to perfectly sculpt a woman’s body. (We’re pretty sure they did.)

All of the The Box’s Loomstate t-shirts are sized medium to fit many different body types. Several EcoSalon editors of different shapes and sizes wear the medium well.

(Retail value of $40)

VivaTerra’s Chindi Mat (and $75 discount on all merchandise!)

This bright and cheery Chindi Mat from VivaTerra was crafted in the tradition of rag rugs and potholders. We think it’s the perfect addition to any green girl’s eclectic, personal decor scheme. Rescued from material scraps, tightly woven Indian Chindi begins as a mound of remnants and ends up as vibrant domestic flooring solutions. Each mat is one-of-a-kind and can be used a number of ways including as a bath or kitchen mat, door rug or gardening pad.

It doesn’t stop there! VivaTerra is also offering $75 off any $250 purchase including sale and clearance items, which with Mother’s Day coming up fast, is your golden ticket (and box). Look for the certificate in The Box.

(Retail value of $39 and $75)

Good Clean Love

We’re not sure we have to say anything more than what the Good Clean Love site says: “Good Clean Love products are even better together! When you change the scent, you change the love experience. Using our aphrodisiac products in sequence for multilayered foreplay and then long lasting and luxurious lubrication is a gift that will keep giving back to you.”

Yes, please. Founder and Loveologist, Wendy Strgar, created her core products to meet the personal intimacy needs in her own marriage of 24 years, which in turn inspired her to create a family of products using healthy and natural ingredients that make love accessible in relationships.

Includes Body Candy, Love Oil and personal lubricant.

(Retail value of $30)

Gaiam’s Peace On Earth Yoga Mat

Share your love for Mother Earth while you Downward Dog on Gaiam’s Peace On Earth yoga mat that provides superior grip, padding and stability. This yoga mat is safe for all users and contains no latex.

Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1988 by Jirka Rysavy, Gaiam is a valued resource to customers who appreciate the environment, a sustainable economy, healthy lifestyles, alternative health care and personal development. Is that you? We bet it is.

(Retail value of $21.98)

Alabama Stitch Book

Natalie Chanin is the sustainable world’s ultimate queen. A designer, writer and workshop guru based in Florence, Alabama, her beautiful hardcover book, Alabama Stitch Book, is the first book of an on-going series. Expect to find various projects and stories celebrating hand-sewing, quilting and embroidery, as well as a collection of projects and stories from her clothing and lifestyle company, Alabama Chanin.

We agree.

(Retail value of $34.95)

Potting Shed Creations’ Basil in a Bag

Too cute and convenient for words. Founded in 1998, Potting Shed Creations is now an internationally recognized brand committed to elegant design, handmade craftsmanship and catering to one’s love of something simple and pure: gardening. We love that the entire design team and all employees work out of an old elementary school based in Troy, Idaho, package their products in a minimal amount of packaging and are USDA Organic certified.

Their Basil in a Bag is a great place to start or to add to your kitchen garden.

(Retail value of $8)

Zhena’s Fair Trade Organic Herbal Tea Sampler

In 2000, founder Zhena Muzyka’s son, Sage, was born with a severe birth defect and with a mountain of medical bills, she was struggling but determined to earn the money it would take to pay for the surgeries that would save Sage’s life. Drawing on her degree in aromatherapy and a love of tea, and backed by a little seed money from friends and family, Zhena embraced her Ukranian Gypsy heritage and became a tea cart peddler on California street corners, and consequently, saved her son.

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea offers not only teas but herbal infusions, producing hand-crafted, all natural and organic beverages that are 100% organic and 100% Fair Trade certified. Each sampler contains 4 embossed recyclable air tight tins containing 4 sachets of 100% certified fair trade and organic tea for 16 total sachets of Acai Berry, Lemon Roobios, Fireside Chai, and Italian Chamomile.

(Retail value of $8.99)

People Towels

PeopleTowels are an on-the-go alternative to paper towels made completely out of 100% organic Fair Trade Cotton. These cheeky, clever, versatile personal towels are designed to save trees, reduce landfill waste, cut CO2 emissions and conserve water. Every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the U.S., alone which should be a wake up call to carry one of these with you to wash later.

Go here to see the styles you’ll get in your 3-day pack, including More Rings, Less Waste, This Is Not A Paper Towel (above), and Love. You might get so passionate about these you’ll want to become a PeopleTowels Ambassador to proclaim the good news.

(Retail value of $17.99)

All Nighter Hair Powder

If you’re like us, you are so over washing your hair everyday. Allow us to introduce The All-Nighter, an eco-friendly styling powder that builds volume, absorbs excess oil, freshens hair and extends your blowout. Contains microfine, real silk powder to add manageability while imparting a luxurious, satiny feel. No talc, no aluminum, no silica and absolutely no synthetics of any kind. Perfect for humid nights on the town, or, the morning after.

Leave it in for great texture or brush it out for an amazing “fresh from the salon” look.

(Retail value of $18)

Alima Pure Eye Shadow in an EcoSalon Exclusive Obsidian

Alima Pure started out making mineral makeup because they cared deeply about women’s health as much as the planet. They use only the purest cosmetic-grade mineral pigments with no additives, fillers or fragrances that can irritate your skin or clog your pores. All Alima cosmetics have BDIH natural cosmetics certification.

We love that the shadow can be used wet or dry as a lid shadow or eyeliner. Multi-tasking products rule.

(Retail value of $9)

Zoya’s Kimmy Nail Polish

Future Natural, our beauty brand partner for The Box, says of Zoya nail polish: “The average nail polish is basically nothing more than a refined version of automobile paint. We know they make your nails look gorgeous, but they contain a hefty amount of dangerous toxins (dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde). Zoya contains none of these chemicals.” Available in a great range of fashion colors and voted longest wearing nail polish by Womens Health Magazine, as well as being listed in Lucky Magazine’s Green Guide. And it’s recommended by the EcoSalon beauty team.

(Retail value of $8)

A Perfume Organic Sample Set

We were lucky to have Amanda Walker at EcoSalon Shops last June and are happy to have her involved in The Box.  This beautiful set from A Perfume Organic holds four fragrances in a pretty, printed muslin bag. Each perfume is attached to a recycled paper card and is a perfect way to test her collection, to use as a travel companion or to gift. Each organic perfume has a minimum of fourteen beautifully blended notes in the purest apricot kernel, avocado and jojoba oils. All of the oils are obtained from organic, wild-harvested and sustainable sources & each formula is certified USDA organic. The petite bottle and flower seed-embedded box can be planted and recycled.

We’ve still got more for you. Ready?

(Retail value of $20)

Primitive

Who doesn’t need a new lip gloss, and this sheer sienna shade from Primitive, Ibiza, is the perfect companion for sundresses post-beach as well as into the night with that sultry LBD. Future Natural says: “MAC has met its match! This award-winning line of 100% natural lip gloss from Primitive Makeup gives all the high shine of a gloss, without the sticky mess. The gorgeous shades are beautifully wearable and ingredients such as jojoba oil, shea butter and vitamin E.”

(Retail value of $18)

$25 Juno and Jove gift certificate

$25 Juno and Jove Gift certificate

Launched in 2006 in Sarasota, Florida, Juno and Jove has emerged as a premier shopping destination for the socially conscious consumer both online and at their brick and mortar shop. Looking through their carefully curated list of designers, you might be surprised by how many eco-talents you don’t know as well as solid favorites.

We love that they offer women’s as well as men’s clothing and shoes, and beautiful pieces for the home, too. Once I started perusing the site, I really couldn’t stop. Along with a focus on consumer education, Juno & Jove strives to create a sustainable lifestyle destination by offering clients products from brands that embody social and environmental responsibility. The team at Juno & Jove has carefully chosen designers based on high standards in both outstanding craftsmanship, as well as socially responsible corporate practices. Merchandise is selected for its construction quality, design aesthetics, durability, material content, maintenance, and practicality. We are in love.

(Retail value of $25)

$25 Beklina Gift Certificate

Anyone who follows EcoSalon’s fashion section faithfully will know we have a pretty big crush on Beklina. Designer Angelina Rennell whose line Lina Rennell is also in her very carefully curated shop says she is comforted by nature and inspired by design, “Beklina is passionate about living at the harmonious crossroads of the two.”

Look for stand out lines like Mociun, Stewart+Brown, Shabd, Organic by John Patrick, Rachel Comey and Ivana Helsinki.

Rennell’s shop is a family operation that hand selects the best available in sustainable style and heirloom wares with a modern organic vibe that quite clearly reflects Northern California’s grace and beauty. Beklina believes clothing and design can be precious, radical, nurturing, healing and wonderful.

(Retail value of $25)

How to get it + the fine print:

The Box is available from 4/22-5/22 and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. (International shipping is not available at this time.) All sales are final. Please allow up to two weeks for shipping. To purchase The Box, email thebox@ecosalon.com directly with “The Box” in your subject line. Supplies are extremely limited – this debut offering is available to the first 25 shoppers only. Please limit 2 orders per person. Payment accepted through Paypal or credit card.

A big thanks to FutureNatural for arranging the exquisite hair, perfume, skin, nail and beauty assortment in this promotion.

Thank you to all the wonderful brands participating in this very special event!

The post An EcoSalon Exclusive Offer: Announcing…The Box! appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s hard not to come across Natalie Chanin’s name in the sustainable design world. Founder of American couture line Alabama Chanin, the designer is noted for her clothing as much as home décor designs and entrepreneurial joie de vivre.

Huge fans, us.

Blame it on her pioneering ways as a designer and CEO of a sustainable American design house. From her home in Florence, Alabama, Chanin works with local artisans to hand quilt, stitch and sew garments into award-winning designs. As a finalist for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion (in 2005), and as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2009, Chanin continues to make the world know she’s here to leave her mark in the world of sustainability.

Now, with her second, recently released book Alabama Studio Style, Chanin gives us more ideas to bring forth from the pages of her carefully curated world.

(You can try winning your own copy of her book by leaving a comment here by noon on March 22, 2010.)

I caught up with Natalie over the weekend and she was kind enough to answer some questions.

What drives inspiration for you?

I believe that we all find inspiration in our lives each and every moment of every single day.  I once based an entire collection on a scrap of paper that I found lying on a street corner. Inspiration is all around when we open our eyes. I tend to have the opposite problem – sometimes it is hard to turn the distraction of inspiration off and to focus on what is before me.

I was reading an article where a writer said, “Foreseeing that the elevated cost of a couture garment could potentially isolate customers, Chanin produced her first book, Alabama Stitch Book, which made her techniques, instructions and patterns available to the public.” Are these books an outreach to those women who can’t afford to buy your clothing?

In one way, yes, but the answer to this is more complex and traverses a bit of ground.

The only complaint we have ever received as a company is about the cost of our garments. Everything that we make is completely made by hand and within about an hour-and-a-half radius from my studio in Florence, Alabama. So, not only is it made in America but hand-built – each and every stitch, seam and embellishment (and these embellishments can be very rich and detailed).

At the same time, early in my journey I realized that sewing traditions (and I would go so far as to say survival traditions – everything around food, clothing and shelter) were dying in my community – and communities all over. Very soon after coming home to begin my work with hand sewing, it became clear that it was important to begin to collect stories and techniques about these traditions and to work towards not only incorporating them in my work but using my work as a means towards cultural preservation.

Furthermore, I had just moved home from Europe where – at the time – there was a much greater respect for recycling, taking care of your environment, quality of food and quality of life. I was very surprised to come home to Alabama and find that our food and environmental systems were substantially remiss in looking at the details of our community and our relationship as a community to the greater world.

However, the most important revelation was the realization that making something with my own two hands added substantially to the value of that object in my life.  It had been so long since I had made – and taken care of – the objects that filled my life. In essence, I re-learned that making brings added meaning.

All of these complex factors combined made me embrace this notion of open-sourcing and supported the idea to write the first book (Alabama Stitch Book).

As you mention, our garments are hand-sewn in America and are very expensive. In fact, many of our garments wind up in museums and private collections. If people cannot afford to purchase our garments, we offer our best-selling patterns in our books so they can make the garments themselves – or pay someone in their own communities to make them. We openly sell the fabrics and the supplies to make those garments – the same resources that we use for our collections. And if a client wants to shorten the steps, we offer DIY
Kits that simplify the process.

This philosophy is unheard of in the global fashion industry.

I am proud that Alabama Chanin has chosen to take this route. And honestly, it was a very difficult (and scary) decision to make and was not met with positive feedback from my industry colleagues.

What is interesting is that after the publication of the two books and embracing this open-source philosophy, many people finally understood why our garments are worth so much. In the end, I am very happy to have trusted my instincts and have made that decision. Of course, since that time (6 years ago) the notion of open-sourcing has become very important and I am proud that Alabama Chanin is a part of that.

Did your mother craft with you?

There was always a project at both of my grandmother’s tables and one in the basket to come next. Both of my grandmothers raised three girls and I know from hearing it that they “sewed every dress those girls ever wore.” The next generation – my mother and aunts – did some crafting and sewing back then but are really much more respectful of these traditions today. That time – the 60s and 70s – was really the beginning of consumerism in America. I remember my mother talking about how she did not want to wear a “homemade” dress to school. She and her sisters saved their money from picking cotton in the summer or working at the 5 & Dime so that they had the money for a “store bought dress” to wear to school.

Your involvement with the Bureau of Friends involves modern day sewing circles with people not usually found doing that. These meetings are hugely successful. What is it that crafting does for our psyche and ability to communicate?

I mentioned above that my most important revelation was the realization that making something with my own two hands added substantially to the value of that object in my life.  The concept that “making brings added meaning” is at the core of these meetings with the Bureau of Friends. It is uncanny how deep and rich conversation becomes when men and women sit around a table together and “make” in unison.

What’s different in this book from Alabama Stitch Book?

Alabama Studio Style is a development from Alabama Stitch Book. When I look at the two books together, I can see the process of “growing up.” And while the books are thought of as individual books, they are also companions.  The inclusion of more recipes excites me and I love how these recipes mix and mingle with the way-of-life aspect of the book.

There’s a current trend of going back to things being done properly. Do you feel like your book is a small portal into reconnecting with what we wear or adorn our homes with?

This has certainly been an underlying theme in my work since the beginning. If you sense that in the books, then I am happy and feel proud.

The post Natalie Chanin Launches Alabama Studio Style appeared first on EcoSalon.