Named one of ten finalists for the 2nd annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Project Alabama competes alongside Anthony Nak, Atelier, Costello Tagliapietra, Derek Lam, Isabel Toledo, Lutz & Patmos, Mayle, Thom Browne, and Trovata for the final prize.
The Archives
Maria Cornejo and Natalie meet in 2005 during the Cooper Hewitt National Design awards and remain lifelong friends.
Tina Lutz and Natalie meet for the first time in 2005 when they are both finalists in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund competition and find immediate connection.
Natalie is awarded her first Design Fellowship Award by the Alabama State Council on the Arts as part of the Individual Artist Fellowship Program.
Sarah Cristobal and Natalie meet for the first time at the Prom Night [LINK] presentation at Bowlmor Lanes in New York City. Two years later, Sarah attends the first Alabama Adventure Weekend to cover the event for Style.com.
Inspired by the Project Alabama annual picnic, Natalie, along with photographer Robert Rausch and designer Billy Reid, conceive of a collaborative event called Alabama Adventure Weekend—a three-day celebration of art, music, film, culture, food, and fashion.
After working together on The Kitchen Project, Angie Mosier becomes a longtime friend and collaborator.
Inspired by oral histories collected by the Southern Foodways Alliance, Natalie collaborates for the first time with writer, photographer, and oral historian Angie Mosier to create a catalog featuring people working in their home kitchens or places of business.
From 2005 to 2006, Michi Meko, an artist and Shoals native, works with a range of collection stencils to airbrush graffiti-style patterns to a selection of Project Alabama garments.
The number of artisans hand-sewing Project Alabama collections grows to 120+ as the collectable pieces are sold in approximately 60 stores around the world.