Fact or fiction?

A little of both... it seems!

Serendipitously, I heard about this book, which is a collection of short stories inspired by one man's life and experience (read a related WWD article by clicking through the link) working in New York City's garment district.

Curious to see what this short story collection might actually be, I read the first chapter on my Kindle, and was pulled in immediately...

"The best part is, not only does Leonard have an incredible wealth of decades worth of experience, but he's entertaining and genuine. " said his publisher.  So, with their permission, I called him up.

And... the story gets even better.  I had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday, and the information he shared with me was MIND-BLOWING.

I will tell you more shortly...

The GIDC (for designers and aspirers)

What is the GIDC? The Garment Industry Development Corporation is an organization dedicated to helping apparel designers and related businesses thrive in New York City's garment district. There is a serious, intense effort being made to coordinate the right services with the right businesses, and that is certainly worthy of a round of applause. This is their own description of their services:

The Garment Industry Development Corporation is a non profit organization established in 1984 and is funded by the State of New York. Our mission is to strengthen and support local apparel manufacturing in New York. For the past twenty five years, the Garment Industry Development Corporation has evolved into a -service organization providing sourcing referrals to local apparel contractors, a Designer Development program "Showroom New York" that provides marketing support and a showroom for emerging designers who produce locally and training and technical assistance to New York apparel manufacturers and workers. The Garment Industry Development Corporation is the link between Designers and New York's Apparel Manufacturers.

Now, why does that matter?

As the owner of a dressmaker referral service, I get a decent stream of calls from designers who want to produce small lots, and would like a single dressmaker's help to make it happen. Now, I completely understand the trepidation one might feel when trying to produce garments for the first time. I often hear that the designer would rather work with one person because it would be "less expensive" than hiring a professional small contractor. While that may be true, I often must ask... and how much less expensive is it when that one person gets sick, burns out, can't finish, or doesn't produce consistent quality when you need it? After all, this is inevitable. You may have a deadline, and a pile of fabric, with no way to meet it. And, truth be told, without the ability to make and deliver the goods on time, you don't/won't have a business.

Just food for thought, my friends.