A first showing of the 200 one-of-a-kind t-shirts is planned for the Chelsea Hotel as part of New York City Fashion Week, February 2001. To announce the event, a catalog featuring color photocopies of the original t-shirts is stitched together and sent out to 400 store and press contacts. Julie Gilhart, then the Fashion Director of Barneys New York, receives a catalog and makes an appointment to view the collection. Barneys becomes the first store to place an order.
Slide 1: Opening page of the Alabama collection catalog, inviting buyers and press to the first showing at the Chelsea Hotel from February 8th–20th, 2001, designed by subtitle, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 2 : Page from the Alabama collection catalog featuring the hand-sewn and embroidered Flag Shirt, 2000, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 3: Polaroid photographs of Julia Sophie Eisenburger at the Chelsea Hotel, 2001, photographed by Amir Saeidani for the Alabama collection catalog, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 4: Page from the Alabama collection catalog featuring the hand-sewn Eagle t-shirt, 2001, photograph by Robert Rausch—learn more about the Eagle t-shirt and Nicole Phelps here
Slide 5: Alabama collection catalog, designed by subtitle, photograph by Robert Rausch
Slide 6: Polaroid photographs of Julia Sophie Eisenburger at the Chelsea Hotel, 2001, photographed by Amir Saeidani for the Alabama collection catalog, photograph by Robert Rausch
The Alabama collection catalog was designed by Paul McKevitt of subtitle, who wrote: "It was a real pleasure being able to work on a project where we had the freedom to visually explore Americana and mix it with the punk ethos of DIY, reflecting a product that had both, but with traditional folk undertones."
This, and all the work of the first Alabama collection show, was a group effort between a team of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues—some of whom we’ve lost touch with over the past 21 years. Thank you to one and all—you know who you are—please reach out and be in touch: 21years@alabamachanin.com.
Deepest gratitude to Paul Graves, Paul Kelley, Paul McKevitt, and Lucie Cuadrado.