Today, the CFDA announced its latest round of funding for seven New York City-based fashion production facilities under the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) Grant Fund, a public-private grant program designed to support the local manufacturing sector.
The 2017-18 FMI Grant Fund recipients, including three first-time recipients, will receive financial awards of more than $480K for equipment, software, infrastructure upgrades, capital improvements, and workforce training to help business growth, offer designers advanced services and preserve fashion manufacturing in New York City.
The 2017-18 recipients are:
Atelier Amelia
Industry City, Brooklyn-based Atelier Amelia specializes in intimate, swim, athletic, yoga and lounge wear as well as dresses. Supporting emerging designers and young talent, services range from development services to sample making to swimwear and clothing production.
In Style USA
In Style USA is a full-service garment development and production manufacturer in the Garment Center. Capabilities range from fabric and trim sourcing, first pattern making, sampling to finished product.
Mudo Fashion
Recently relocated to the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Mudo Fashion is a contracting service for sample-making and production of RTW collections with expertise in different stitching capabilities.
New York Embroidery Studio
Garment Center-based New York Embroidery Studio is a full-service textile manipulation and garment decoration studio offering embellishment, trim, embroidery, and surface treatments.
Season Wash
Season Wash is a washhouse in Long Island City providing developmental expertise from sampling and to bulk production for garment washing and finishing.
Sunrise Studio
A full-service production manufacturer in the Garment Center, Sunrise Studio is a flexible factory with the ability to expertly handle different types of garments-from sample-making to medium-size domestic production runs.
Werkstatt
Garment District-based pattern service Werkstatt specializes in intelligent, well-constructed garment development and works primarily with mature luxury fashion companies, often in collaboration with clients’ in house ateliers as well as their factories and sample rooms.
Since the inception of the program in 2013, the FMI Grant Fund, held in partnership with the NYCEDC and partners including Andrew Rosen and Theory, the Coach Foundation and Ralph Lauren, has invested more than $2.75M to 25 companies.
“New York City has incredible people and factories that make up its manufacturing ecosystem. FMI is proud to support their innovation and future growth,” said Andrew Rosen, Founder and CEO of Theory. “This year’s recipients are very well deserving and exemplify that spirit.”
The 2017-18 FMI grant recipients were chosen by a selection committee that included CFDA’s Steven Kolb, Theory’s Andrew Rosen, Ralph Lauren’s Halide Alagoz, Allison Rupprecht and Thomas Gibb of Coach, Gabriel Saca and Thomas O’Meara of Rag & Bone, Steven Alan, Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran, Thom Browne’s Joshua Wertheimer, Dana Davis of Mara Hoffman, Bernie Kahn of the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Kei Haiyashi and Katie Lyon of BJH Advisors, and consultant Andrew Ward.
In addition to the FMI Grant Fund, FMI includes a full Production Directory designed to help better connect designers with high-quality and reliable local manufacturers, including all FMI grant recipients are included within, as well as industry networking events, collaborative partnerships and business development opportunities for manufacturers and designers alike. Learn more on the FMI program here.
