ReFashioned Intro by Natalie Chanin

Posted On October 20, 2013

During my years of working in the fashion industry, I have seen first-hand the effects of newer, faster and ‘better’ ways of living and buying. Ultimately, choosing faster and cheaper can equate to unwitting disregard for humanity and the environment. It is often much easier to consume what is convenient without thinking too much about the larger impact or consequences of our choices – particularly the continuing use of toxic chemicals, haphazard disposal of these wastes, unprotected workers and unsafe practices. These conditions simply cannot be sustained long-term if we are to continue living on this beautiful blue planet. As globalization makes our fashion production more and more transparent, we are no longer blind to manufacturing methods. As the processes become understood by the end consumer, customers begin to make different choices. Patti Smith once said, ‘I choose Earth’. I see a future where we all choose Earth.

I applaud the work of Sass Brown and all the designers and innovators who are working toward that future. Those outlined in this book are individuals and companies that make me hopeful and are making a difference in the world today. I believe that the greater ‘machine’ can be slowed and reined in, and that beautiful ways of working can grow from that restraint.

My experience of over a decade with my company Alabama Chanin tells me that recycling and repurposing textiles lends to the complexity, artistry and value of a finished design. As people, our many roles change and evolve over the course of a lifetime; I love the idea that textiles can do the same. Sass Brown’s work proves that reviving something in order for it to serve a new purpose can be a beautiful act of conservation, design and art.

Natalie Chanin, founder of Alabama Chanin