That the domestic apparel manufacturing changed dramatically is no secret – just ask anyone working in American fashion. Statistics show that New York City’s garment manufacturing industry has lost 95 percent of its workforce since its peak in 1950.
Four years ago, CFDA and NYCEDC partnered to stem the decline and rejuvenate areas of apparel manufacturing here via the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative. The program aims to nurture, elevate, and preserve garment production in New York City, ultimately connecting fashion designers to local manufacturing.
Now, NYCEDC, in collaboration with the CFDA and the Garment District Alliance, announced a $51.3 million package to help stabilize and strengthen New York City’s garment manufacturing sector.
Building on the City’s $15M investment to create the Made in NY: Fashion, this new initiative includes investments in technology, business technical assistance and workforce development, which will be available to factories across all five boroughs – from Brooklyn to the Bronx.
“We see this as an opportunity to make the eco-system of production more city-wide at a time when the fashion industry is in need of a capital investment,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA.
The money will go to areas such as modernization and investment in technology, enhanced workforce development, industry organization and technical assistance, and real estate stability and clustering (the latter including Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, which has emerged as an area of growth for garment manufacturing).
“I’m committed not just to the stability of garment manufacturing, but to its growth,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen. “There’s a market and a demand for clothes that are Made in New York, and we’re taking bold steps to help firms move to the new space we’ve developed so they can grow and thrive.”
The “sustainability of the fashion ecosystem” is key to the future of the of the apparel industry, according to Barbara Blair, President of the Garment District Alliance. “We believe this initiative will help to stabilize the apparel manufacturing sector that has been in decline for many years,” she said. “This program addresses the many challenges facing manufacturers by offering investment in technology and human capital, as well as options for affordable and modern factory spaces.”
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Made in New York’s future just got even brighter.
