NYCEDC and CFDA to invest $51.3 million in NYC garment manufacturing

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Mar 27, 2017

New York City’s iconic Garment District is going to see some major changes in the coming years. The New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Council of Fashion Designers in America announced on Friday a new $51.3 million-dollar package to enhance the city's garment manufacturing industry.

 
The multi-million dollar package builds on the $15 million Made in NY: Fashion initiative, and is intended to strengthen and stabilize New York City's fashion industry with technology, business technical assistance and workforce development, which will be available for all five boroughs. The NYCEDC and the CFDA will also provide grants to cover real estate relocation and expansion, business development support, training programs, and new machinery and technology through the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative.
 
“Since taking office, we’ve invested in every piece of the fashion industry, from a new academic building at FIT, to marketing assistance, to renovating space in City-owned buildings for manufacturers," said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen. “There’s a market and a demand for clothes that are Made in New York.”

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The two organizations developed the new initiative through one-on-one interviews, focus groups and site visits to the Sunset Park manufacturing center that opened in February. The NYCEDC is also continuing outreach to refine the financial package.
 
The grants for relocation are a notable piece of the financial package. Businesses that would like to move from Manhattan's Garment District to the Sunset Park manufacturing center will receive aid, but that raises issues for companies that do not wish to leave the neighborhood.

The Garment District sits near Penn Station in Manhattan and stretches several avenues from Fifth Avenue to Ninth Avenue. The neighborhood is not only home to fashion labels such as Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Nicole Miller and Carolina Herrera, but also fabric and material suppliers.
 
Sidewalks in the Garment District notably feature a ‘Fashion Walk of Fame’ with designers such as Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Halston, Ralph Rucci, Norma Kamali, Liz Claiborne and Bill Blass among others. Tourists visiting the neighborhood for the first time will be drawn to the information booth featuring a sculpture of a needle threading a button, and a bronze statue of The Garment Worker made by Judith Weller.
 
Prior to this investment, the NYCEDC and the CFDA partnered to launch the Fashion Future Graduate Showcase that will be held on May 23-25 in support of the top fashion graduates of New York City.