What's that booth with a button got to do with me?

Updated, since much of this information has changed since I wrote this post on 5/12/12.

Here's the new link.

If you have wondered why that official-looking kiosk sits there on the corner of 39th Street and 7th Avenue, and then walked right past it, wondering "What's that booth with the button got to do with me?"... Well, here's your answer. A whole lot, actually. Daunting as it may seem, it is there to serve the professional, the aspirer, the student, the hobbyist - anyone with questions about where to get anything related to the industry in the garment district. You may just learn that there are plenty of ways you can improve your projects, or simplify your projects just by finding the right business or service provider. Today, I walked in, rain soaked, and asked my question. "Do you know of a company that will fuse interfacing to fabric? Just a small length, for one garment?" "Hmmm..." said the cheerful young woman at the desk. A few keystrokes, and she handed me a list of 21 businesses in the garment district. The only drawback is that they are addresses, short descriptions, and contact info, so we only know that they all do some sort of fusing, but there is still additional legwork for me to do to find out which business is the right contact for me. Since you can't really expect to drop in on most of these places, you do need to go home to do the homework/research, but hey - so much better than doing your own Google search, right? Using this service effectively requires you to know the correct terminology, and be patient with the answer(s). There are so many possibilities, fabric types and manipulations possible, that their resource database is VAST, and only YOU know what you need, your budget, and what type of business you want to work with. The best part, is that when you do research the companies, you end up exploring paths you never even knew were available to you. Who knew pleating, shirring, smocking, and jean stressing could be done just for you, just for one project, too? They also give you a free, lovely Fashion District neighborhood map, listing the restaurants and other common needs in the area. This is ideal for the tourist, but it does feature many of the true garment district neighborhood haunts. The Fashion Kiosk... Click the link above for more detailed information. So, in a nutshell, the booth is great. Step inside... but this is New York, folks... Have your question ready. And use the right terminology. No guessing and sentences filled with "You know what I mean?" No one's got time for that.

Here's the booth as of yesterday (10/9/15)

Months of construction.  Vacant for now.

Oh well, you can always buy a map instead!

On fur, sweatshops, prison and unfair labor practices

Republishing: Original post January 29, 2013  How far have we come?

"The only things that do not change are dead things. Clothes are exceedingly vital and alive." 

-Jacques Worth, 1927

Which of these is this coat? Alive or dead?

And this leopard?

I have written many posts over the years on this very topic (see my old blog to follow the path this post will lead), trying to wrap my head around all of the complexities of treating people fairly, compensating them for their work, and consuming resources responsibly.  I know these things are important.  I know that people are passionate about these things. I know that everyone, every  single  person on the planet matters equally. I know that we need to take a good look at ourselves, how we fill our closets and bellies, and how we treat one another.

The caption of the original photo above, (from my family's collection) originally from TWA Aviation Press Pictures, reads, "NY International Airport, February 11, 1960. Glamourous Eva Gabor, who appreared on the Jack Parr Show last night, is pictured wearing a leopard coat prior to boarding a TWA Jetliner to Los Angeles where she will enjoy a brief visit."

The airport had not yet been renamed JFK, for obvious reasons... but notice the mention of the leopard coat? My, how times have changed.

Or... have they?

This coat would have been quite a status symbol in those days, but would now be a very unpopular item (to put it mildly), if worn by any celebrity. While such a coat, which once turned heads, now turns stomachs, are animal rights just the popular issue right now, due to the marketing efforts of groups like PETA? Does it matter that her coat was once an actual leopard?  Yes, it does.

This got me thinking (again).  We celebrate the person wearing the item, cooing and sighing as they float down the red carpet, as the TV correspondent breathlessly calls out, "Who are you wearing?" The name assigned to the garment is almost always a brand or a fashion icon, but what an interesting experiment it would be to try those interviews on the bustling streets of midtown Manhattan, or Boise, Idaho, or Phoenix, Arizona.  Would they know?  Would they care?  Would you? Do we?

I know there are always other fish to fry, but I want to specifically turn your attention to an article on sweatshop labor, offered by BBC News. Do we think about the human price paid when we buy $5 T-shirts? According to the article, workers in Burkina Faso would love to stop laboring for such low wages, but, unfortunately, cotton is their only cash crop.

I also noticed an article online this morning about Riker's Island inmates wanting to learn about fashion theory. This is said to be the most popular of the course offerings for the prison population's female inmates. Students also learn, as part of this course, about third-world sweatshops and fast-fashion retailers, in addition to exploring their own potential.

It seems that when we talk about making clothing, we inevitably end up talking about bigger issues as well.  Here in the US, we talk about outsourcing, and how low wages are being paid to foreign workers to keep our clothing prices low.  But we also talk about social consciousness and a more global perspective on how our decisions impact all of us.

Excerpted from a Times Style Section article on the same topic:

"Chyiome handbag designer and Project Runway alum Anna Lynett Moss teaches the class, which tackles cultural identity and design process by narrowing in on provocative style and design approaches. “People with creative training are in a unique position to envision innovative alternatives to some of our deepest social problems,” she explained to Of a Kind. The designer and humanitarian—she is developing a socially—conscious accessories line with the UN–chooses talking points that range from fashion shows to magazine spreads to educate and enlighten."

Read more: http://style.time.com/2013/01/23/rikers-islands-most-popular-class-fashion-theory/#ixzz2JNI8NIaF

Here's the kicker, on Facebook this morning, I was inspired to click on the face of a person I vaguely recognized from high school, who is connected to another friend from high school.  We weren't friends because we were in different grades and didn't hang out with the same groups of people, but I recognized her name, and noticed she had become an author.  Because we (my family) are avid readers, I clicked through the link to her book, and was just FLOORED... positively FLOORED by the "Jean's Story" section of her profile, and then downloaded the book to my Kindle immediately.   I hope you will click through to the link, but if you don't choose to, just know that she was actually going to the same high school I was every day, just after climbing out of miserable conditions, and assisting her mother in a Chinatown sweatshop. Her name is Jean Kwok, and a video of her discussing the (fiction) book can be found here.

So, I'm having one of those astounding "You mean, right here? In my lifetime?  My peers?" kinda moments.

Clothing.  Everyone gets dressed everyday.  But it symbolizes something far greater. Bigger stories can always be told surrounding the process that results in a wearable item. Heads are needed to design it, hands are needed to create it, and hearts are needed to appreciate and love it. In our Project Runway culture now, we should be more aware than ever what it takes to make our clothing.

So now, here's my bigger point... as you read this, "Who" are you wearing?  You pulled on a sweatshirt you randomly snatched up for a few bucks at a huge discount store.  Or maybe you made it yourself.  Or maybe a well known artist or designer made it. Could your clothing be made in a prison work program, a foreign work camp, a local sweatshop? Does it matter where it came from, and who made it? Yes.  Clearly it does. More than we realize.  And more than we are willing to admit.

Let's make something ourselves, shall we?  With our own hands, head, and heart.  Need to go fabric shopping?  I've got you covered.  If you want to find fun places to shop in the garment district, sharing the creative energy of a group, come along on a Speakeasy tour.

What happened to Rosen and Chadick?

Look across the street.  Above the Wasabi restaurant.  The windows?  They look dark.  The familiar white lettering on the windows is gone. No shadows of bolts of fabric, no people bustling around inside... Isn't that where Rosen & Chadick was?  Oh no!!! Wait! Where have they gone?

Well, if you go over to the entrance (as I did) and ask, the doorman will hand you a card.

Whew...

Thank God.

Okay, I'm lying.  I knew they were moving, but was sworn to secrecy until the move was complete, because you know how complicated these deals can be.  

Anyway, today I visited the new Rosen & Chadick space.

They are busy unpacking and setting things up beautifully, organizing their merchandise neatly in this roomy, easily browsable environment.  This spot feels good, and it gives you a fresh perspective on familiar merchandise if you have been to their first and second store locations over the past 50 years or so. Do visit them in this new space, merely a stone's throw away from the old one.  They will be happy to greet you there! 

Big space - stretches out to the right and the left.

Fabrics are now organized by likely end use - makes browsing easier!

Stay tuned for a quick update to this post coming shortly! I'm gonna show you something made with their to-die-for fabric...

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.

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

NBC New York Blogs About the Garment District

 
Dispatches from the Garment District is part of the Thread NY fashion blog by NBC New York. Once or twice a month they post an inside feature on the Garment District, like a mini interview with a Calvin Klein intern or a tour of Mood Fabrics. Check it out...