Important news...

Are you a designer?  Do you work for one?  Do you freelance or take on special projects?  Have you worked with big names? Well, many of us have, and no, you are not alone if you've been taken for a ride.  If you been thinking it's just you, this article may be just the one you need to read to learn that it isn't just you!

Maybe a designer has called you, flattered you, told you were they impressed with your work, are in a bind, need the kind of help only you can provide... maybe there's a job in it for you... maybe big bucks!  They fed your ego... and then... abruptly, it ended.  Did you do something wrong?

Communication stopped.  Where's the money you were promised?

If you are in or associated with the garment industry, you need to know this article...

Newsworthy... TODAY

Here's an article you may wish to read on... Reviving the Garment Industry Outside of the garment District

This is particularly timely, as there will be a Facebook Live discussion today during the 4PM (Eastern) hour here, addressing the current state of this industry and district.

Check it out!

History Will Teach Us Nothing vs. Starting again

Our written history is a catalogue of crime
The sordid and the powerful, the architects of time
The mother of invention, the oppression of the mild
The constant fear of scarcity, aggression as its child

- Gordon Sumner (better known as "Sting")

On the second CD I EVER bought, "Nothing Like the Sun", I attached myself to one, haunting, specific song the entirety of the following summer.  I was 16-17 at the time. That song, titled "History Will Teach us Nothing", never beckoned me to research exactly what it was talking about, but the sadness of that idea resonated with me.

Walking through the garment district recently, that song started humming in my head again, unsolicited, rekindling that strange urban industrial ennui. Where are the new designers/colors/ideas? Is there room for new?  Can people still make things, pay employees fairly, use new technology, usher in a new era of exciting garments and sewn products?

How would a person research such things in real time?  In the garment district, feeling the drumbeat of the current commercial landscape? I'm seeing buildings being taken down, new hotels and other businesses gradually crowding out my beloved district. So, if you're looking for the lessons in this atmosphere, what teaches you what people will do?  

What people have done. For sure. 

But, then again, maybe not... On May 21st, I walked past a vey busy Zara, and the closed Diesel and Urban Outfitters stores near 59th street. Internet searches will yield a variety of tales about how each of these businesses meet their sales goals.  Are they true? Who knows? I can't personally verify or deny any of it.  many of us find ourselves in the same boat. I started to think that we (in the fashion industry, collectively) may just be repeating the same mistakes over and over and over agin.  The modern day equivalents of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the meandering path one would have to follow to emulate the success of any of the designers profiled on Fashion's Walk of Fame, the emphasis on the more viable careers in fashion given by some noted fashion schools, while steering people away from the hands-on, artistic aspects of the business, the tightening and shrinking of industrial real estate within the very area designated for such pursuits - the writing is on the wall, without a doubt.

Wait... Not so fast...

This post threatens to piggyback a previous one...

Unfairly.

On May 17, I led a private Speakeasy for two young designer/partners with beautiful ideas for garments they wish to create.  For this particular Speakeasy, I led them to the places who would be able to provide the services and supplies they need to make their sample pieces, and negotiate for larger volume as their business grows.

What impressed me most about these two, was their willingness to educate themselves and evaluate the feasibility of their design plans and goals before starting.  Much of what I shared with them was optimistic, and some, was a bit sobering. I know that they learned a lot, and were happy to establish new contacts.

Best question of the day (coming from them):

"In your experience, what are the most common mistakes you see new designers make?"

Above all, I think, it is not having a plan/budget.  I gave some specific examples of what happens in such circumstances, and they listened attentively, thinking seriously about what the want to do.  I really look forward to hearing great things about them in the future!

The light in my brain came back on, and I started humming again.

Heroes of the Garment District - Example #1: Amy Matto

Translation: Made in the USA

"Nowadays, a new designer would have to be crazy to design and make clothing in New York City."

- Everyone

Luckily, the Italian word for "crazy" is Matto. And if this designer is crazy, Amy Matto is crazy like a fox.  (And I am just crazy enough to check the translation.)

The wisdom of this company's choice to produce here in NYC's Garment district is beautifully conveyed in this article, featuring an interview with Ms. Matto by the International Business Times.

This isn't some harebrained scheme.  They've been here since 2009, and that's 6 years now! Having recently completed a round of hiring additional staff, this enthusiastic and energetic bunch is growing beautifully, while promoting their mission to expand their line, which is represented in boutiques across the country.




How do I know this?  Last week, after a warm email exchange with a member of the staff, I asked to come in and see the work they are doing. Yesterday, I was delighted to enter their clean, brightly lit showroom, shipping room and workspace, where rows of garments were beautifully displayed on racks amid a handful of busy design, administrative and production staffers.  

Great clothes? Yes.
Affordable? Yes.
Where can I buy them? Lots of places. 
Click here for a list of stockists.

Now, for the skeptics among you, I must add that this is not a sponsored post.  This is my genuine impression of a solid garment district player.  Make no mistake; from what I can see, the architecture of a great future for Amy Matto is represented here, and this is one I am very happy to support.

The line is very American in appearance, and I mean that in the best way. Great for the modern woman's lifestyle; you can wear it to work, wear it out afterward, and then wear it on the weekend...  It's workwear that works anywhere.  A classically youthful color palette, uncomplicated, well-made, and versatile in its appropriateness.

Here are some examples to fall in love with:

A close look at a a great fabric..

A whisper of a delicate dress, light as air...

An eyelet dress, perfect for summer...

A fur vest (FAUX!)... and so DREAMY for fall!

Get this... it has a matching jacket!

So, is it possible to make clothing here in New York City?  Apparently so!  Can the garment district still support it?  Apparently so! Will we support it as shoppers?  Time will tell!

And, if my opinion (or your own) isn't enough, they do have an impressive celebrity following as well.

The fall line looks really promising.  I look forward to watching them grow!

Amy Matto

(Showroom and New York HQ)

270 West 38th Street

Suite 1202

New York, NY 10018

212-398-2980

email

Pssst...! (For the designers and aspirers among you)

I get lots of inquiries from small designers. I'm telling you about this company, not because I know this person, but I do know the quality of his consulting work via happy clients of his, and that he does indeed give them wings. Visit his website to learn more.

Not quantity. QUALITY

While there are lots of bargains and good deals to be found in the fabric and notions stores, not everyone is looking to haggle, dig through disorganized piles of goods, or question fiber content.  

If quality and effective time management is your goal, there is a new map I've made especially for you.  While three of the eighteen stores listed on the map are located outside of the district's borders, all are still within a painless Manhattan cab ride.

I have named it the "Best of the Best", and it lists the best stores and resources for quality-oriented shoppers, with descriptions of the strengths of each entry.

Special Speakeasy requests

Every now and then, I am contacted by individuals who would like to attend a speakeasy tour where they can see some skilled craftspeople at work. Generally speaking, while there have been a few themed Speakeasies, mainly, they have been educational fabric and notion shopping excursions so far.  This one would take you deeper...

Some garment district connections I have gained over time will allow me the opportunity to show you some amazing work being performed on garments, as well as special treatments and manipulations of fabrics and other materials to make exciting textures and shapes happen.  These explorations could truly knock your socks off, and really need to be seen in person to be appreciated.

But this can't happen without your help.

I am establishing a committee of interested folks to design one uniquely conceived garment district excursion for our group.  If you would like to participate in the planning of this special event, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire (below), so we may discuss further. 

As always, if you are interested in fabric and notions shopping, click here for general Speakeasy Tour information.  Otherwise, please complete the questionnaire below to consider a truly unique garment district experience.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Are you a designer? Get inspired...

Imogene and Willie is a jeans manufacturer that could have grown anywhere.  Listen to the story, and get inspired.

I see this story as a direct response to my "As Yet Untitled" blog post.

After absorbing this information, I invite you to the seminar.

I suspect your objection may be that it can't be done here.  Allow me to correct you...

There's a "garment district" of sorts emerging in Brooklyn...  You can read about it here and here...

After all, we are all makers, aren't we?

Mobile App Competition

This is a special competition, perfect for the tech savvy and just plain passionate folks among you. The Garment District is evolving, changing, growing, collaborating, and thinking.  And YOU can participate!

Find more information on this and other unique NYC opportunities, follow this link...

My Norma Rae moment... Save/Shop the Garment District/Center

I reread this post I wrote a few months ago, thinking my recent conversation with Leonard Bernstein might have changed my mind about many of the points I make here.  Actually, I still stand by just about everything I said here, but I have been enlightened and broadened by the information he shared with me... and now I can share it with you.  Stay tuned for my next post!

And read this one, if you didn't read it in February.

Well, I'm no Norma Rae.  I'm not even sure where I stand on Unions. I may not mount workroom tables, holding a bold cardboard sign over my head, but I do have a passionate drive to keep the garment district going strong, as it matures into whatever the future has in store for this magical place. To make this happen, people have to earn paychecks.  The kind that keep them fed, clothed, and sheltered. We ALL benefit from exchanges that honor the people contributing to the effort of manufacturing at every level. We all have a human obligation to respect, encourage and protect each other. That is a fundamental fact of life, not just in the garment industry, but everywhere.

Running this blog, visiting stores and businesses, being a dressmaker, and having so many contacts within the industry, I sometimes feel the pull of the soapbox.  "Who will listen to me?" I think.  It is very easy for others to give me an encouraging pat on the back, while doing nothing about the decline of the garment district themselves. "What do I know about all of this, anyway?" I often console myself by claiming not to know enough, by claiming to be "just" the tiniest of tiny voices in a huge, competitive industry.  But, actually, I know the truth.  Who isn't "just" a tiny voice?  Someone has to pull out the soapbox, raise a sign, and put a voice to the problem I think we seem to be collectively ignoring.  This post may be controversial, but I do hope it stirs up some great conversation. And action. There must be action.

*Clearing my throat*

In advertising circles, I know that they talk about getting people to see information by appealing to them in different ways.  Some like to look at pictures, some are drawn in by the words, some are lured in by emotional stuff, and some just want the data.  I'm going to give you all of those elements here.  Whichever type of person you are, I encourage you to open up all of your senses to really take this post in. At the end, I am going to require something of you.  I'm not actually asking.  Your help really is needed here.

Step 1: Go to the mall, or wherever you actually shop for clothing.  Look at the clothes, look at the fiber content, the construction, the countries of origin, the fit  (try something on) and the price. Imagine who might have made it.  What his/her life might be like. Good or bad, they live that way because WE buy the goods they make. Does that hurt to hear? Whether high end or low end, environmentally conscious, or generically anonymous clothing sold at a huge discount retailer, you have a mental picture, correct?

What you can do: Buy the things you feel good about buying, considering all aspects of how/where/by whom it was made available to you, and don't buy the ones you don't.
What I can do: Tell you about companies who are making things in a socially responsible way, no matter where they are actually made.  Let's start... click through for a great list of businesses who make their goods in the USA, where we have labor and wage laws. I know my audience is broader than just the USA, so I encourage any of you to think about your own political views, values and loyalties as well.

Tearjerker alert... Watch this old commercial.


"Our wages going... to feed the kids..."

Step 2: Go to the Garment District in New York City, if only to take a walk.  Look at the stores you see there.  In your opinion, can it still be called the garment district?  Who occupies most of the real estate? Step into the fabric and notions stores.  How much transacting are you seeing taking place? Are you buying?  If so, great.  If not, why not? Is there anything you are looking for that you can't find?  Step into the Fashion Kiosk (at the big button) and ask your question.  Be advised, they are there to give you information, not guarantees or recommendations.  Meet and greet to get your own feel for the suitability of the business(es) they direct you to, and follow the path where that inquiry leads. If you go anywhere that I've sent you, tell the proprietor that you learned about them on my blog.

Don't live in NYC?  Watch the video below (sound quality is poor, but you can still get it), wipe your tears, and then, then be sure to visit the websites of the garment district stores you like.  Make, embellish, upcycle, or dress up your own stuff, if you want to.  If making a statement by doing so, tell people who ask about it, why you make your own. Or, take a hybrid approach.  Make some things, and shop responsibly for the rest. For what you buy ready-made, consider this...


What you can do:  Read this post to get an idea of which garment district stores sell the kinds of things you want to buy. Then, buy something. Note: Even if the online vendors mentioned aren't in the NYC garment district, they are a "middleman" or fabric curator, since much of the fabric they sell still comes from stores in the NYC Garment District, anyway.  So, in the end, it still benefits the same vendors.

What I can do:  I can keep finding great new places, and notice improvements to old ones, and share that information here.

Step 3: Know this. A clothing designer isn't going to build a factory just to make their clothing here. This tells me that we have to take more than a few huge steps to change the aftermath of the battle we've already lost.

Yeah, I said it...  We're fighting a war that is already lost.  If you feel I am mistaken, I would love to know why you feel that way.  Convince me.  I'd love it. I have spoken to enough bigwigs to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.  I will give you direct quotes from influencers who did not give me permission to share their names, but who can feel more than welcome to claim their (paraphrased) quotes in the comments following this entry.

"Only the small designers will have their things made in the garment district.  The goal, for anyone, is to get the kind of volume they need to go offshore.  Otherwise, they just can't keep up."

"I wish the Ralph Laurens and Gap would produce their garments here, using American notions, supplies and labor.  I mean, really? Even they can't produce here, with the sales volume they have?"

Now go to the Imogene and Willie site. Again, not asking.  Telling. Sorry to be so bossy, but I must, in this case. Read the page you find after clicking the link above, so that you are understanding what you are about to see below.  Then watch the video, and whether you come back here, or stay there, do something.  If you aren't moved, I think you might be made of stone.

What you can do:  Listen to the idea given at the end of this video.  Give it serious thought. Understand what their story is symptomatic of, and open yourself up to the big picture. Go to the Save the Garment Center website. Follow any of the suggestions that move you. Kinda 1960's maybe, but real.  Hey, gotta start somewhere, right? Are you a designer? Can you be a part of making something happen?  Somewhere?

Also, read the article about designers and the garment district here.

What I can do: Listen to you.  Comments, please. I'll be going to the DG Expo today.  Will you?

In retrospect...

The year is 1996.

Three years after college graduation, married, out of my parents' home, I FINALLY get to start pursuing what interests me.  Using my own money, I am immersed in and outrageously passionate about sewing, creating, imagining, and designing clothing.  Devouring the FIT library shelves on a regular basis, I spend hours after my day job thinking, planning, sketching, dreaming...

I keep a detailed journal with clippings from magazines and newpapers,  writing notes on all I discover, copying articles, beautiful pictures...

http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/designers/ocimar-versolato/ - Oscar Versolato design
article written by Ruth La Ferla

Direct quote: "Before you make clothes, you have to know technique" - Oscar Versolato

Side note: We've been having a discussion recently about Parsons discontinuing sewing classes for design students. The above quote, I'm sure, will add to that discussion.

Sandra Bullock, in a gown that looks like something stolen directly from my dreams.

Learning to draw hands - Fashion Art course book 1996 

My sketching pretty much plateaued around here... This was for a "plus" sized figure.

My little happy secret is that I can also watch the videos of classes I am not taking, and learn far more than even the classes I've paid for will teach me.  The FIT's library resources are vast, and the classes give me the opportunity to talk to other students about so many things I don't know.  Some of my classmates are professionals in the industry already, while some are as green as I am.

One night, sobbing as I sketch in Fashion Art class... (Yes, literally.) I question whether I can ever sketch garments that effectively convey what I'm dreaming of...

A ridiculously talented classmate gently taps me on the shoulder and says, "Don't worry; you just have to get what's in here (points to his head, and then his heart) to come through here (rubs his fingers together)."  It echos in my head even today.

Truer words were never spoken.

Problem is, I can't find a path.  Where will those jobs/experiences/mentors come from?

I have studied how to drape, develop a pattern, sketch, sew - using my hands, head and heart... how do I apply them in the fashion world?

Now, it is 2013.

Since then, I have worked for quite a few fashion companies, tried, triumphed and failed at many creative endeavors, and in this moment... wouldn't trade any of it for a thing. In the past year alone, I've had the benefit of consulting with a CFDA design firm to help find sample-making talent, worked personally with a very talented billionaire to realize creative visions of her own, written for a national sewing publication, made clothing for very special private clients, done wildly creative work for a trend forecasting company, and even managed a tiny bit of creating for myself and my own family.  Better than what I could have dreamt of back then.

So, maybe now you are the one worried about where to start.  I am often struck by how many students and creatives have no idea where or how to shop for sewing supplies, what various fabrics and supplies are called, how to negotiate the quantities they need, how to get a first pattern made and graded, how to get even the smallest quantity of items produced...

That is one of the reasons why I am here.  I can point you in the right direction. You may even want to come along on a Speakeasy tour!

Got questions or comments?  I'm here!

So... you wanna be a designer?

For all of you aspiring designers out there...

I'm taking a moment to share some things I think may be helpful.  If you agree, or are encouraged by this, please comment on this post.  Actually, comment if you disagree, or are feeling discouraged, too!

Some of you already know that in addition to blogging on this site, I am the owner of the Find a Dressmaker website. There are Facebook pages for both this blog and that site, to which you are all enthusiastically invited. Your participation is welcome, and I am really jazzed by all of the questions and comments I currently receive on a daily basis.

Links to the Facebook pages are below:

Shop the Garment District
I Love My Dressmaker

Visit and "like", please!

If you love this page, and you generally sit down at your tablet, laptop, or desktop computer to read it, feel free to subscribe (look to your right on this page).  If you use your phone to read it, I am totally impressed by your eyesight. If you use a Kindle, and don't mind a small service fee, go ahead and subscribe via Amazon.

I also have Twitter accounts for both groups. The link is to the right on this page, and there's a link to the Twitter handle on the Facebook "I Love My Dressmaker" page, for the other.

Your natural next question is probably,  "Why do you do all of this?" Well, I am  a member of a small tribe of garment industry fanatics who simply adore the process of sourcing, making, teaching, learning and interacting.  Because I am also a dressmaker and natural promoter of related things, I do earn some of my income this way, too.  None of the businesses listed on this site pay to be mentioned here, nor will I accept it if offered.  That's how I keep the reviews here true and useful.  I may be friendly with some of the owners, following years of interaction, but none are my personal friends.  Sometimes I may say some things in the name of constructive criticism, but I never aim to be mean, unfair, or hurt anyone's businesses.

For creative native New Yorkers like me, the garment district really does feel like the heartbeat of the city. If this describes you, too, you know exactly what I mean, and I welcome you to the family.  It's already in your blood. Those of us who have haunted the district since childhood, understand and embrace all aspects of this wonderfully creative, boot-strappy environment in a way many others just don't understand. And that's okay. We're a bit weird, and we know it.

Running the blog, the Facebook pages, and the website, I get lots and LOTS of questions. Among the most common are from aspiring designers, who just aren't quite sure how to get started. By this, I mean people who have creative ideas, want to make, or want to have things produced for sale, but have never actually made any business moves in that direction before. Having no idea where to begin can be overwhelming, confusing, and expensive.  Even some of the best books on the subject can also be overwhelming, if you are still learning the basic vocabulary to get started. So, this post is aimed at helping you. Be advised that any specific consultation that is unique to you and your goals, and really worth the time, experience, knowledge, and effort being expended on your behalf, comes with a fee.  You'll have more questions beyond those answered here, of course. So many questions.  There are  businesses who welcome your questions, and will guide and advise you through the process, should you choose to pursue your plan. Many of them charge a fee, while some consider it a value-added service, and will offer you a helping hand, in the interest of doing profitable business with you afterward.

Now, I think we would all agree that the creative/dreaming/thinking part of the process is the fun part.  A simple sketch is an idea,  not a design.  When it becomes a 3-D functional object, THEN it's a design. If you know how to drape, design, and sew, you can take yourself that far. And no, you haven't designed it, of you used a commercial pattern (Burda, Butterick, Vogue, etc.) to create it.  But you can always use a commercial pattern as a springboard for an original design of your own.

You may be in school for fashion design, in which case you have a built-in support system.  If not, or if that support system is lacking, here are some resources to get you started charting your path:

Books:
I regularly update a group of sewing related books I recommend, available through Amazon.com.  Click here to see them!

Finances
If you want to start a business, whether in fashion or any other area, the first steps are generally pretty straightforward.  You can't make things without money to buy the materials, equipment, and hands to make them.  You have to know what your product is, and who your customer is.  That imagined customer needs to actually exist. If you don't have the money to get started making a prototype, there are only a few ways to get it.  If you lack a generous back account or great and ample credit of your own, or willing friends, family, spouses or others to finance your efforts, you have a difficult road ahead, and you'll have to be very creative and resourceful to find another way. To better understand the financial end of things, assuming you plan to grow, read this.  As cool as it sounds, the idea of simply making a lot of stuff and selling it, is a bad idea, unless you are just incredibly smart about what to make, and who will want it, AND is certain to pay you well for it.

Sourcing
Fashion Institute of Technology sponsors a "City Source" event, where various garment industry services and providers offer their wares and talk shop with anyone who has questions.  I have attended two of them so far this year, and if you come with an open mind and ears, you are sure to learn A LOT! The FIT website generally advertises the event in advance.

The Fashion Center Kiosk, whether online or in person.  A recent post on this mysterious booth will give you more information.

Production Patterns and Grading
There are many things you need to do to get a pattern made for production.  Because there is so much to know, you've got to trust a professional to get you there.  A patternmaker with industry experience, Cherie Bixler can walk you through, make a pattern, and consult with you (for a fee) on the specifics of your plan.
Create a Marker is a company whose services you don't even know you need yet.  They make a practice of treating everyone who comes to them as if they are "the next big thing", and I just love their attitude. When it comes to grading, marking, spec sheets, file formats and so on, they know what you need to know, and will happily educate you as you move along. I met one of the owners at the City Source Expo at FIT, and felt an instant affection for this company.


Pulling it all together:
The GIDC (Garment Industry Development Corporation), which is a link between fashion designers and manufacturers, helping designers make the connections they need to survive and thrive in New York City, specifically.

Samples
Don't cut corners.  Your samples need to be perfect by meeting the same standards you need your production to meet. You don't want approximate samples. Invest in a professional, and don't let any non-industry person "try" to do it for you.  Believe me.  I say this as a dressmaker who has "tried"... Go to the kiosk for help finding samplemakers.

Production
There are so many variables governing who and where you will want to make your items.  Lots to consider, specific to your needs.  Look to the GIDC for help in that area.

Fabric
Read this blog.  You're already here. I've got you covered. When you need significant quantities, many of the places mentioned here can help you.  Negotiate discounts basde on the yardage you are buying. Designers go to these stores, too!

Work for someone else first.
You may not want to, but you actually need to.  That is how you shorten the learning curve.

"Good hands"
If you create beautiful garments with your own hands now, and your skills are mainly what you can do at the machine, consider your hands golden.  If you are in New York City, your hands are needed by designers like you wouldn't even believe.  You can work for a designer, and turn out beautiful things, if you have the skill set to do it consistently.  No, you won't earn a fortune, but you will have steady work, while taking no financial risk, so that's one way to go... Think on that a bit, okay?

While you're at it, read the articles in this series about starting a fashion business.

Why Go Elsewhere When It's All Here

Edit: The future of City Source events is in doubt, as the interest and enthusiasm have waned a bit... (4/16/17)

The City Source event at FIT on Tuesday, Jan. 10

On Tuesday FIT, the Garment Industry Development Corporation and the Fashion Center hosted the first annual City Source, a Garment District supplier showcase. I checked it out on my lunch hour and was glad I came: The resources available in NYC's Garment District are just amazing. If you are an emerging designer and you missed this event, well, shame on you and don't miss it next year. It was a great opportunity to research and build contacts with sample and patternmakers, embroiderers, pleating companies, digital printers and more. About fifty vendors filled FIT's Great Hall.

Digital printing and CAD studio LTS Design. That pink-and-green print in the back just screams Beach Tunic 2012 to me.

Gorgeous beading and embroidery by New York Embroidery Studio. The way to make a simple sheath dress look like a million bucks.

Cool Event: City Source Supplier Showcase, Jan. 10

The 1st Annual City Source Local Supplier Showcase

Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fashion Institute of Technology's Great Hall

FIT and the Garment Industry Development Corporation are proud to host 50 locally based factories and suppliers who will showcase their work, including pleating, embroidery, sample and pattern making, printers, production, marking and grading, wovens, accessories, knits, small lots, tailoring, and quick turns. Click here to register for the event, which is open to "designers, retailers, students and fashionistas."

This sounds like a great way to experience all the fabulous resources the Garment District has to offer—meaning the ones that aren't readily apparent to those of us who tend to dwell on the street level. I have this event on my calendar. Hope to see you there!
 

Nanette Lepore's Hidden Gems in the Garment District

Nanette Lepore

Check out designer and ardent Garment District supporter Nanette Lepore's new Tumblr blog, where she shares glimpses of her work and personal life, plus her takes on "hidden gems in the Garment Center."

Hop a Designer Bike to Support Emerging Fashion Talent

Betsey Johnson and the bike she designed for Tour de Fashion

 
Ooh, I love this idea! If only it would stop raining here in NYC…

"During New York City’s Fashion Week 2011, one of the hottest designer accessories won’t be a handbag or stiletto. Instead, fashionistas will have the opportunity to borrow one of the 30 bicycles designed by fashion royalty including Diane von Furstenberg, Isaac Mizrahi, Betsey Johnson, Prabal Gurung, Elie Tahari and others. Tour de Fashion was created by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District (BID) in an effort to highlight New York City’s legendary Fashion District as the birthplace and epicenter of American fashion."…Tour de Fashion’s bicycles will be auctioned at the end of the event to benefit the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Incubator." —from the Tour de Fashion website

Some of the bikes will be available to borrow right here in the Garment District area at Broadway and 40th Street; complete details are available at Tour de Fashion. Maybe I can get my hands on this Lela Rose bicycle:

A Lela Rose bike, complete with rear doggie basket

"Designers Who Keep It Local"

Thread NY, the fashion blog of NBC 4 here in NYC, has a slideshow on 11 designers who "keep it local" and use the resources of the Garment District whenever possible. Click here to see the sideshow, and happy Fourth of July everyone! Keep it local!

Sample Sale in the Garment District

From Racked NY: "This Thursday and Friday, 3.1 Phillip Lim is hosting a rare public sample sale with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross to help the relief effort in Japan. The sale will run from 10am to 6pm both days at the Phillip Lim Showroom, 260 West 39th Street on the 17th floor. Expect to find women's clothing, men's clothing, accessories, shoes, and Kid by Phillip Lim, not to mention samples and production merchandise."

Normally I wouldn't post news of sample sales here, but since this is for a good cause I am making an exception. I hope to pop over there myself….

Did the First Lady Do the Garment District a Disservice?

Nanette Lepore and Michelle Obama.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Ardent Garment District supporter and designer Nanette Lepore has taken Michelle Obama to task for the Alexander McQueen dress she wore to the state dinner in honor of China a few weeks ago. Read the latest New York Magazine article on this here. What do you think, readers? Is it the First Lady's duty to stick to American designers only?

"Clothes made in NYC: Fashion made in New York City gets the cache it deserves"

From a 2/5/11 article by Patrick Huguenin for New York Daily News:

"In New York City, a dense few blocks in the West 30s are the fashion industry's busiest hive.

Here, in the Garment District, embroiderers set up shop next to button sellers and leather workers. Designers can pick up a zipper, a dress sample and a replacement stiletto heel in a five-minute walk.

But it's an area that faces hazards. It has seen businesses die off as designers outsource production overseas. As with any other New York City block, it has come under the eye of eager developers and faces complex questions of rezoning. The district's survival depends on public support, dedicated designers and a new breed of shopper: the fashion locavore."  Read the rest of the article here.