Named, for a second time, as one of ten finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Natalie and Alabama Chanin compete alongside Flora Gill and Alexa Adams of Ohne Titel, Patrik Ervell, Sophie Theallet, Waris Ahluwalia of House of Waris, Wayne Lee of Wayne, George Esquivel of Esquivel Shoes, Gary Graham, Monique Péan, and Simon Spurr of Spurr for the final prize of the 2009 competition. Peter Stanglmayr's photograph of Natalie with her young daughter, Maggie, appears in an interview with Florence Kane of Vogue in a series profiling the 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists. Our friend and collaborator Sara Martin gifts Natalie a paint-by-number portrait of Natalie and Maggie based on Peter’s photograph, which is still very dear to Natalie—a reminder of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund days and sleepless nights as a mother of a young child.
Later, Chateau Marmont hosts a fashion show as part of the competition in Los Angeles. Like the previous trip to Los Angeles with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the designers have time away from their daily work life to bond over shared experiences. Natalie forms friendships with Gary Graham, Waris Ahluwalia, and all the other designers. Waris and Natalie go on to host a Makeshift event on Halloween in 2014 at The Standard Hotel in New York City (read more about the Makeshift events here). Gary Graham, one of Natalie’s heroes, becomes a lifelong, and forever inspiring, friend.
Read Vogue’s profile of Natalie from that time here.
Learn more about the Chateau Marmont fashion show here.
Read an entry from Gary Graham here.
In the November 2009 issue of Vogue magazine, a piece entitled “Top Ten” highlights finalists in the 6th annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Finalists are photographed by the great Norman Jean Roy who, in 2014, left the world of fashion photography and opened a family bakery, Breadfolks, in Hudson, New York.
Slide 1: Painting of Natalie Chanin and her daughter, Maggie, by Sara Martin from a photograph by Peter Stanglmayr, 2009, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 2: Designer Patrik Ervell and actor Alden Ehrenreich; Designer Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin and model Karlie Kloss, from "Top Ten," Vogue magazine, November 2009, photographed by Norman Jean Roy, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 3: Designer Sophie Theallet with model Chanel Iman; Designer Ahluwalia Waris of House of Waris, from "Top Ten," Vogue magazine, November 2009, photographed by Norman Jean Roy, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 4: Designer George Esquivel of Esquivel Shoes and singer/fashion icon Janelle Monáe; Designer Monique Péan and model Elettra Wiedemann, from "Top Ten," Vogue magazine, November 2009, photographed by Norman Jean Roy, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 5: Designers Flora Gill and Alexa Adams of Ohne Titel with artist Tauba Auerbach; Designer Wayne Lee and model Lily Donaldson, from "Top Ten," Vogue magazine, November 2009, photographed by Norman Jean Roy, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 6: Designer Gary Graham of GaryGraham422 and Making the Cut (read an entry from Gary here) with model Sasha Pivovarova; Designer Simon Spurr of Simon James and March NYC joined by actor Sebastian Stan (and Simon’s dog, Apollo), from "Top Ten," Vogue magazine, November 2009, photographed by Norman Jean Roy, photograph by Robert Rausch