Alexander Henry fabrics have been notoriously difficult to find in the UK – until now!

Pictured Above: Las Senoritas from Alexander Henry’s Folklorico Collection

Alexander Henry fabric designs range from pretty to witty to downright kitsch and we’re pretty much addicted to them all!  It’s no secret that here at Fancy Moon Fabric Shop we love the brilliant fabric designs of Alexander Henry!  So much so in fact, that some time ago we decided to build the biggest and most comprehensive Alexander Henry fabric collection in the UK.  

Pictured Above from Left to Right: The Dotted Line, Prehistoric, Matchstick, Barcelona, Amazona fabrics by Alexander Henry

It goes without saying that Alexander Henry fabrics are great quality, incredibly versatile, and fantastic value, but much more than this, the talented design team at Alexander Henry have an uncanny knack for tapping into the zeitgeist, and for predicting and nailing just about every trend before any one else knows it’s happening. And what’s more, they get it right time after time, turning out definitive, highly original fabric collections twice a year, punctuated with humour, flair and spectacular style.  Is it any wonder that Alexander Henry fabrics are firm favourites with manufacturers, artisans and home sewists alike.

Pictured Above: Mercer from the Mecca for Moderns fabric collection by Alexander Henry

Specialising in illustrative and novelty fabric prints under the banner “The Fabric of Imagination”, this successful family business was founded by Marc de Leon some 30 years ago in Burbank California. Having grown up with the business, his children Nicole and Philip de Leon are now integral to Alexander Henry’s success, working side by side with their father as principal designers.  Embracing traditional textile design methods, doyens of design Nicole and Philip are artists and painters, and each of their designs is a hand rendered work, unfolding and developing organically with each brush stroke, lending each design a vitality that elevates them far beyond the competition.

That these designers take their inspiration from the life and humanity around them is abundantly evident in their collections and prints; California’s rich heritage as both a Mexican territory and as an American South West frontier, alongside a century that has seen film-making grow from an embryonic art-form through to a multi-billion dollar industry, has created a rich, diverse and uniquely Californian culture from which to draw, and has led to Alexander Henry producing outstanding fabric prints that are as creatively unique as they are commercially viable.

Pictured Above: Images from Alexander Henry’s Inspiration Page

Alexander Henry fabrics come in a variety of weights and textures that lend themselves to multiple uses.  The 100% cotton sheeting or pima poplin fabric prints currently form the largest part of the collection and are extremely versatile.  We have seen these fabrics used for dressmaking, bedding for both adults and kids, light-weight curtains, quilting, accessories and a multitude of crafts. 

Pictured Above: A selection of Alexander Henry’s cotton sheeting and pima poplin fabrics

Then there’s Alexander Henry’s ‘Fashion for Home’ collection; these 100% cotton oxford fabrics are real heavy-weights at 8.7 ounces per square yard, and are the perfect strength and weight for upholstery, curtains, bags and rucksacks, along with heavier-weight clothing such as coats and jackets. 

Pictured Above: Chairs piled high all covered in fabrics from Alexander Henry’s Fashion for Home collection

A couple of years ago Alexander Henry launched their beautiful, floaty, light and lovely cotton lawn fabrics under the Fulham Road fabric collection banner.  These catwalk quality gorgeous prints are sublime for dressmaking, quilting and crafting your finest work! 

Pictured Above: a selection from Alexander Henry’s Fulham Road Cotton Lawn fabric collection

More recently, (just this summer 2012 in fact), Alexander Henry have launched cotton flannels, (great for cosying up at bedtime), and laminated fabrics which are perfect for wipe-able tablecloths, nappy changing mats and bags, make-up and toilet bags and of course for the UK, raincoats!

Over the years Alexander Henry fabric designs have come to embody American life, creating and curating their very own catalogue of Americana with keen observation and often, great humour.

Pictured Above: Left -  Grizzly Cliff from Alexander Henry’s Twin Peaks fabric collection.  Middle – Wranglers, Alexander Henry’s Pin-Ups fabric collection.  Right – Warriors Story from the Santa Fe fabric collection by Alexander Henry

Back in 2005 when we first discovered these dazzling fabrics, we were instantly captivated and thoroughly hooked, and we knew that these fabrics that were largely undiscovered outside the US, would be a massive hit in the UK and Europe.  At the time it was notoriously difficult to source these materials beyond US borders, and if you don’t know where to look, you’ll still find it pretty difficult to get them in significant quantity. So, we created a one-stop-shop for all Alexander Henry fabrics here in the UK and it seems that you’re as thrilled about this as we are!

Pictured Above: ‘Home Sewing is Easy’ from Nicole’s Prints fabric collection by Alexander Henry

So, what is it that makes Alexander Henry fabric so desirable? I’d say it’s a fantastic design team with an intuitive talent for nailing the prevailing zeitgeist, and encapsulating it within an illustrative, often witty and thoroughly must-have, affordable, and useable length of fabric… but that’s just my opinion!