Sonoma founders of Chasing Grace clothing line look to make Christian apparel hip, stylish

Three Sonoma women are out to change any preconceived notions that fashion can’t be both stylish and Christian-themed.

The owners of the Chasing Grace clothing line concede some Christian-themed apparel can come off as a little tacky - such as T-shirts proclaiming “All I need is Jesus and my coffee” - or sport slogans that are more fire and brimstone than kindness.

“So much Christian fashion is so self-righteous,” said Allison Sebastiani, who along with fellow moms Beth Fenton and Stacie Elkhoury formed the business in late 2015.

Instead, they have focused on a clothing line with more of a hip quotient. Its first line featured sleeveless T-shirts with more ecumenical slogans, such as the words from The Beatitudes, the group of blessings recounted on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, according to the Bible. Another reads: “Peace Be With You.” The latter shirt was a big seller in the aftermath of the presidential election, the owners said, as many particularly appreciated the sentiment in a time of political divisiveness.

“We’re really trying to spread love and universal peace,” said Sebastiani. “Those are the kinds of messages we are trying to get out.”

Chasing Grace has just released its new “Spirited” collection that features dress T-shirts, hoodies and long-sleeved T-shirts.

On its website, models pair those items with leather skirts and knee-high boots. “We’re definitely not shying away to be edgy,” Sebastiani said. She and Fenton are Roman Catholic, while Elkhoury is a Seventh-Day Adventist. The three women have 11 children among them.

Chasing Grace does most of its sales through the internet; Perlé near the Sonoma Plaza is the only retail location that currently sells its products. Daily sales range from one to five items, the owners said, as they are trying to grow their brand through word of mouth and social media.

The clothes aren’t cheap. A T-shirt dress with the words “Godspeed” across the front sells for $118, while a long-sleeved T-shirt with the words “Love Thyself & Thy Neighbor” goes for $108.

But the owners emphasize the quality of the products. They work with a San Francisco pattern maker to design the items, source the fabric from the Garment District in Los Angeles and manufacture the clothing at a factory in Arcata. The three are so far self-financing their business.

While planning their apparel line, the women insisted the clothing be made from top-quality fabric. Fenton said she wanted something similar to her everyday wardrobe. For example, the long-sleeved T-shirts are made with ultra-soft bamboo cotton.

“We don’t want it to be itchy and ugly,” Fenton said. “We want it to be fashion forward.”

The women donate a percentage of their sales to the Compassion Collective, a charity that aids Syrian refugees.

While the apparel is primarily targeted to women of faith, the owners said they believe it can appeal to the nonreligious. For example, Sebastiani said she had an atheist friend who was intrigued by The Beatitudes T-shirt, but didn’t know the story behind the sermon.

“We see it as a way to open the conversation,” Fenton said. “Some of these shirts can appeal to non-Christians.”

The three women collaborate on the designs even though none has any formal fashion training. Each woman brings her own aesthetic to the discussions, which at times can get spirited. Fenton, for instance, said she favors images of the Virgin Mary and the stigmata, marks that correspond to those left on Jesus’ body after he was crucified.

“Our hearts are in this wholeheartedly,” Elkhoury said. “We don’t need to do this. We want to do this.”

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.