Natalie Chanin
Founder, Alabama Chanin

From our conversation

“I keep thinking about what would it take for a piece of clothing to be planted in the ground that it is beneficial for the Earth. It's going to take collaboration between scientists, artists, people who work in the humanities and designers and makers to do this.”

Biography

Natalie Chanin is a designer, author and cultural strategist whose work fosters placemaking—restoring historic buildings, activating community spaces and designing infrastructure that celebrates heritage while building opportunity. As the founder of Project Threadways, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Florence, Alabama, Chanin documents the history of textiles and explores their power to shape culture, economy and place. With over two decades of experience leading Alabama Chanin and The School of Making, she has pioneered a model for sustainable manufacturing rooted in local supply chains and regenerative practices.

Visit the Alabama Chanin website to learn more about Project Threadways, The School of Making and upcoming events.

Interview

Creating Garments That Reconnect Time and Place: Natalie Chanin
In this conversation, Natalie envisions regenerative design at a local level in rural Alabama. She explains how the history of the region, once “the T-shirt capital of the world,” shaped her commitment to honoring artisanship, documenting oral histories and rebuilding local supply chains in close partnership with Texas organic cotton farmers and Southern mills. Natalie explains how this journey culminated in transitioning Alabama Chanin into a nonprofit—and shares her future plans for designing spaces that reconnect people with the places and makers behind their clothes.