Drawing & Design by Lucy Halcomb

Living in NYC this past year has made me appreciate many, many things about where I'm from but the two that stand out the most are 1. a slower paced lifestyle & 2. my love for all things southern!  That being said it's no surprise that one of my FAVORITE fashion/lifestyle designers is Natalie 'Alabama' Chanin.  Her line consists of sustainably made clothing, denim, bridal (a recent & exciting addition!), fabrics & lifestyle items.  Unlike most designers today, the Alabama Chanin collections are all hand sewn & made by local artisans in Florence, Alabama (a mere two hours from my hometown)!  Natalie is adamant about creating beautifully crafted, limited addition items while still focusing on slow design & sustainability & I agree with her practices whole-heartedly!! I mean what's not to love; she is from Alabama after all...

I had the extreme pleasure of attending the most recent Alabama Chanin fashion show in NYC that showcased her Fall/Winter '09 Collection.  Can I just say that it was by far the most enjoyable fashion show I've ever been to...and I'm not just saying that because she's from Alabama (I promise).  Walking into the Alphabet City showroom called 'The Firehouse' I was in awe of the rustic yet sophisticated look of the white-washed exposed brick, the pine wood floors, the table lined with southern BBQ, sweet tea & of course some PBR (haha) but  most importantly the 10 or so models wearing the most fantastic hand crafted ensembles!  The attention to detail of not only the clothing but also the showroom itself was something only a true southern woman could achieve (I am a bit biased, sorry!).  Natalie & her team had crafted a beautiful spread by the duo playing folksy-bluegrass music that consisted of a massive binder exploding with swatches of Natalie's fabrics, as well as other sustainable companies' adorable little postcards & booklets.  The Alabama Chanin fashion show was magnificent & for a few hours I was transported back to the good ol' Heart of Dixie...

Natalie 'Alabama' Chanin wearing one of her own designs-a dress & matching coat-tres magnifique!!

A handful of the Alabama Chanin models hanging out while wearing looks from the Fall/Winter '09 Collection...I loved that the fashion show consisted of the models actually socializing & 'living' in the clothing so you could truly imagine yourself in one of the hand crafted dresses, skirts, t-shirts & coats

More of the models having their photograph taken while enjoying the southern ambiance

Entertainment for the Afternoon-a 'folksy-bluegrass' musicial duo

A front window display at Barney's New York

Alabama Chanin is widely known in the fashion industry & is sold in high-end stores like Barney's New York, Bergdorf Goodman's & Jeffrey New York & Atlanta.  Natalie also has a flagship store in Florence, Alabama along with 'The Factory' where she hosts weekend events such as crafting/quilting, environmentally sustainable lectures & more!

Flipping through the pages of the recent issue of Vogue I shrieked (literally) when I saw the full page spread of actress Jessica Alba adorned in one of Alabama Chanin's latest dresses!  (Page from July 2009 Vogue)

HERE'S A FEW SOUTHERN WEBSITES FOR Y'ALL, ENJOY! ....ohhh & I'd love any other recommendations on great southern-inspired sites, comment away!

Alabama Chanin

Billy Reid

Beauty Everyday