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In 2009 the Design Trust partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to create Made in Midtown, a study of how the garment industry works and why it's an integral part of New York City's economy, identity, and sense of place.
Phase 1 culminated in the launch of an interactive, multi-media website (www.madeinmidtown.org) that features videos, comics, maps, diagrams, and written profiles of people at every level in the fashion industry. This web-based study reveals how hundreds of small factories and suppliers in the District work closely with designers to create the latest styles that make New York City a global fashion capital, and influence the clothes we wear everyday.
The June 14, 2010 issue of Crain's New York credits Made in Midtown as the tipping point in the city's decision to shelve re-zoning plans for the Garment District: "Word of the city's move follows a study released this month by the Design Trust for Public Space. Instead of describing the garment center as a relic of a bygone industrial age, the new report bills it as a thriving and hugely productive research-and-development hub for high-end fashion."
Building on this success, Phase 2 of Made in Midtown will develop a vision for a working, creative district in Midtown that could become a new economic development model for light manufacturing.
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The Design Trust will engage two new project fellows: an Architecture/Urban Design Fellow will conduct a detailed analysis of the District's physical infrastructure--buildings, sidewalks, streets, open spaces--and how people occupy the public realm; and an Urban Planning Fellow will examine the present and potential real estate value of the District, and the costs and benefits to New York City of redeveloping the Garment District.
Working closely with the project fellows, the Design Trust will convene a series of expert workshops to examine the broad spectrum of tools available to city officials -- from zoning to branding, physical improvements to training programs -- to balance the needs and interests of Midtown's many stakeholders. Ultimately, Made in Midtown will provide flexible strategies to preserve the District's diverse uses while exploring the potential for physical improvements to the public realm that could benefit the fashion industry, property owners, and the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who pass through the District every day.
Ultimately this story is about much more than fashion. It's about one of the last neighborhoods in Manhattan that has not yet been remade by recent waves of new development. It's about jobs, immigrant workers, and startup businesses. It's about the decisions city officials make to support certain kinds of businesses and land-use development, whether it's baseball stadiums, high-rise condominiums, or light manufacturing.
Do you believe creative industries have a place in New York City? We need your support to start Phase 2. |
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| Major Funders |
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Exclusive Series for Huffington Post |
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Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation
Nanette Lepore and Robert Savage
Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc.
Additional Support
The Fashion Center BID
Newmark Knight Frank
Tharanco Group
New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency
NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs
The A. Woodner Fund
Louise and Arde Bulova Fund
Garment Center Supplier Association of New York
Garment Industry Development Corporation
Workers United
Reed Krakoff
Video Equipment Generously Provided By
Canon
Tekserve
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"Exploring Midtown's Urban Fabric" (03.04.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet Ramdat Harihar" (03.11.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet Shelly Steffee" (03.18.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet Andrew Rosen" (03.25.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet In God We Trust" (04.05.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet Anna Sui" (04.12.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet Jason Wu" (04.26.10)
"Made in Midtown: Meet Ron Frasch" (05.25.10)
"Made in Midtown: Why Creative Industries Matter" (06.02.10)
Press Coverage
The Architect's Newspaper (Sept. 24, 2009)
The Business of Fashion (April 29, 2010)
Crain's New York (June 14, 2010)
Fast Company (June 6, 2010)
Huffington Post (June 9, 2010)
Metro (June 3, 2010)
NBC New York (June 2, 2010)
New York magazine (April 29, 2010)
The Cut, New York magazine (June 9, 2010)
The New York Times (April 28, 2010)
NY1 (June 2, 2010)
The Observer (April 29, 2010)
Racked.com (June 9, 2010)
Treehugger (June 1, 2010)
Urban Omnibus (Oct. 22, 2009)
WNYC (June 8, 2010)
Women's Wear Daily:
- Sept. 24, 2009
- Jan. 26, 2010
- March 22, 2010
Online press kit download (46mb)
Select project images are available as high-res images for press use.
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| Special Thanks |
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Yeohlee Teng
Award-winning designer Yeohlee Teng established her house, YEOHLEE Inc., in 1981. Ms. Teng provided invaluable assistance demonstrating the complex process of garment production, illuminating the fashion ecosystem and introducing team members to fashion industry stakeholders throughout the city.
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Joerg Scwartz
Joerg Schwartz is an independent architect practicing in New York City since 1985. Mr. Schwartz worked closely with the CFDA to develop the project concept, assisted with the 2009 survey of 101 buildings within the Garment District's Preservation Areas, and provided insight as a designer and critic at every stage of the project's evolution. |
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