IN-PERSON London. Section B

Abstract

In the heart of New York City, the Garment District stands as a bustling hub of creativity, weaving together a community of fashion practitioners and artisans who carry forward multi-generational craft skills including tailoring, pleating, embroidery and leatherworking. Designers and artisans in the Garment District work hand-in-hand to both preserve traditional practices and innovate new and more sustainable practices for the global fashion industry. The built environment of the Garment District is a testament to the interplay between creativity and functionality. Hundreds of fashion studios, workshops, and showrooms are packed into the upper floors of early 20th century buildings within a few blocks in Midtown Manhattan, in structures purpose-built for fashion factory production. The district remains a vital site of livability – and workability – in the increasingly gentrified city. Most of the fashion businesses in the district employ fewer than ten people, many of whom commute from the outer boroughs or New Jersey, where rents are less expensive.The district collectively employs thousands of workers, yet this community is largely invisible, overlooked by local urban planning and city policy. As a cultural city and fashion capital, New York City is uniquely reliant on the fashion industry – so why is this community consistently overlooked? This presentation will explore the resilience and transformation of the Garment District during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recent research concerning community advocacy of district workers in proposed urban development and social justice realms.