The Magnifique Podcast
Hi guys! Welcome to Magnifique, your favorite fashion lovers podcast.
My names Gabrielle and I’m a fashion industry newb, though I’ve loved playing dress up for as long as I can remember. The fashion industry is an intimidating space, filled with elitist know-it-alls, it's hard to feel invited to learn about the rich history behind modern-day fashion.
I started this podcast because time after time, I've tried to find podcasts to learn more about hmm: how Gilded Age fashion influences modern-day attire, or Marc Jacobs being the reason for Louis Vuittons ready-to-wear line, OR how Levi Strauss pioneered Western Denim…and I'm met with a graveyard of results. I can't find anything! So I guess if I want something in this niche, I must do it myself. I invite you to join me as I expand my knowledge of the fashion space. Together we'll kinda be geniuses of fashion.
The Magnifique Podcast
Episode 26 - The Rise, Fall, and Evolution of NYC's Garment District
The Garment District in New York City undergoes a fascinating transformation from its origins as a red-light district known as "The Tenderloin" to becoming the epicenter of American fashion manufacturing and design. We explore how this neighborhood shaped the American fashion industry through crisis, innovation, and cultural shifts.
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Free audio. Post production by Alphoniccom. Hey divas and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite fashion historian fashion encyclopedia podcast. Today we talk about the garment district in New York City Coincidentally sparked my interest through my encyclopedia. I think that's going to be a running theme for a lot of the coming topics, so bear with me. She's growing her brain, she's reading encyclopedias. Now who she turns 26, and all of a sudden she's a little freaky. So, yes, today we talk about the Garment District in New York City.
Speaker 1:It has gone through many iterations throughout the decades, throughout the eras, so we're just going to dive right into it. I recommend getting like a snack, getting cozy. If you're driving, go ahead and lock in to the road. A lot of road work going on right now. I need you to be focused and while you're focused, I'm going to talk about the first era of the district, the Tenderloin era. This is pre-garment district. It's kind of like evolution we got to go back all the way before we get to what we want. Okay, do y'all believe in evolution? I feel like it's. Why am I talking about evolution? I believe in evolution, I believe in science, but this is not a non-evolution believer-friendly space. I do apologize, but also I don't think I apologize in the slightest. Okay, let's talk about the Tenderloin era.
Speaker 1:The area, now known as the Garment District, has been a center for fashion and design since the late 1940s, and at its peak it housed the country's highest concentration of designers and manufacturers. However, before it became a fashion powerhouse, the Garment District Alliance report on the Garment District's history tells a very different story. This area was once called the Tenderloin, also known as the Devil's Arcade. Essentially, it was a place for squalor and debauchery. Truly just like the garment district would be later known to be a home for designers. The tenderloin area was infamous for housing the nation's largest concentration of prostitution and as late as 1919 it was accounted for the highest number of prostitution arrests in the New York City area. This area was also a hub for bootlegging, betting and racketeering. So bad news bears all around, but the rise of the Tenderloin as a center for sex trade was fueled by a booming period of theater construction between the late 1970s and sorry the 1870s and the 1900s, which in turn led to an influx of hotels, casinos and nightlife being in their surrounding area. And as the nightlife became too much for the wealthy landowners in the vicinity, their properties became available for rent and this created an opportunity for quote-unquote higher-end ladies of the night who were willing and able to pay the increasing rents in the emptying spaces to fill them to live there. So the Tenderloin earned its name from police captain Alexander Williams. He famously remarked when assigned to the area I like it just fine, I've had a chuck for a long time and now I intend to eat tenderloin A reference to the lucrative opportunities for grafting in the area. Williams himself was known by several monikers within the district, including the clubber and the czar of the Tenderloin.
Speaker 1:At the turn of the 20th century, many believed the district was beyond redemption. No one thought the flourishing sex trade could be stopped, from police captains to local priests. No one could have anticipated that the future garment district would provide a surprising solution to the Tenderloin's woes. The area of the Tenderloin rapidly transformed into the Garment District, as large numbers of immigrant workers were effectively quarantined in the area. This was caused by wealthy elites not loving, not vibing with the fact that these garment workers were riddling the streets of Fifth Avenue, which is where the garment district's second location was. So they pushed him out of the Fifth Avenue area and said go over here, I don't want to see you. But speaking on immigrant labor, let's talk about the birth of the Garment District and said immigrant labor.
Speaker 1:The Garment District, a cluster of blocks in Midtown Manhattan, has been the heart of New York City's fashion industry. Today it primarily is recognized between 6th Ave and 9th Ave, between 31st sorry 34th and 42nd Street. The creation and evolution of the garment district represents a pivotal moment in American urban planning and politics, shaping New York City's current landscape. Its story isn't just about establishing a home for American fashion. It's also a powerful narrative of workers and immigrants fighting for their place in a city that often seemed quite unwelcoming. At its core, the garment district was established by workers and immigrants fighting for their place in a city that often seemed quite unwelcoming At its core, the garment district was established by workers and developers, many of them immigrant Americans carving out a life in the city To survive and thrive. They formed unions, establishing a unique urban culture. Before settling in Midtown, the garment district's roots were firmly planted in the Lower East Side, where many immigrant workers lived and operated businesses out of residential tenement housing. However, labor reform put an end to this living and working arrangement, prompting manufacturers to leave the Lower East Side for commercial lots along Fifth Avenue. Eventually, these manufacturers were relocated again, this time to what is now the garment district.
Speaker 1:Manufacturers played a crucial, though often unrecognized, role in the entrepreneurial history, significantly influencing New York City's urban development, as well as immigrants and women's history. The garment industry quickly became a haven for immigrant workers, many of whom were willing to accept less than satisfactory wages. By 1910, approximately 46% of New York City's industrial labor force was employed within the garment district and industry. The industry experienced an explosive boom post-Civil War, fueled by newly arrived immigrants and their oh-so-valuable skills. What began as home-based businesses soon blossomed into small enterprises. During the Civil War itself, the government turned to New York City's manufacturers for mass-produced uniforms, setting a precedent for large-scale production. And, if you remember from my Charles Tiffany episode, tiffany Co also helped during the Civil War, providing armor, I believe, and bullets.
Speaker 1:Between 1828 and 1858, new York's garment industry emerged as one of the nation's largest sites for textile manufacturing and storage, thanks in part to the invention of the sewing machine. Its labor force was almost exclusively immigrants, more specifically Eastern European Jewish immigrants. For context, jewish people in 19th century Eastern Europe were often restricted from owning land, compelling them to live in cities and develop industrial skills like manufacturing and textile production. Between 1899 and 1910, jewish people comprised the highest percentage of skilled workers arriving in the United States, at 67%. The garment industry employed nearly half of all Jewish males and almost two-thirds of all Jewish wage owners in New York City were concentrated in garment making. At its peak, nearly a third of New York City's entire adult workforce was involved in the garment trade.
Speaker 1:As manufacturing laws evolved, the use of residential buildings for family-run businesses were eliminated, forcing manufacturers into commercial lofts. This coincided with the ready-to-wear boom. Ready-made clothing was a relatively new concept and the soaring demand provided a perfect excuse for manufacturers to relocate to these commercial spaces, often lining Fifth Avenue. Most ready-to-wear garments were copies of Parisian couture, with American designers largely remaining anonymous, while World War II later showcased American designers' successful ability to design and mass-produce stylish clothing. Decades after the war, much of the production began to move south, west and eventually overseas. For example, in 1906, b Altman opened its flagship store along Fifth Avenue at 34th Street. However, the presence of workers was deemed unsightly by the elite of Fifth Avenue and a public campaign urged merchants and manufacturers to move west to a less expensive tenderloin district, as we mentioned, further accelerating this shift. In 1918, the BRT subway lines began services on Broadway and the IRT expanded services down 7th Avenue. These subway lines not only brought workers from residents in Brooklyn and the Bronx into Midtown, but also offered convenient public transit for manufacturers and directly connected out-of-town buyers to the.
Speaker 1:The construction of the new garment lofts and showrooms multiplied after 1920, between 1920 and 1928. During this time 120 high-rise manufacturing and showroom buildings were put up just north of 35th Street. This created a distinct fashion ecosystem. Side streets became crowded with trucks delivering materials and loading finished garments, frequently blocking traffic. And after 1925, the garment district continued to push westward. By the 1920s it was home to half of the city's garment plants. Many manufacturers also became real estate developers, further shaping the district. And by 1931, the garment district had the largest concentration of clothing manufacturers in the world. But unfortunately, by the 1980s, increased illegal immigration, stiff competition and lax enforcement of labor standards led to a resurgence of sweat shops. However, by the mid-1980s much of the manufacturing had left the garment district entirely, relocating to Lower Manhattan, ie the Lower East Side and Chinatown. Recognizing its historical significance, architectural historians have petitioned to list the garment district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Speaker 1:The garment district has always been home to important design houses, but in the early 20th century the divide between design and production was less pronounced. Big-name design houses like Pauline Trigere and Norman Norrell were located just around the corner from small manufacturers where labels were imprinted and buttons were made. Although major labels like Calvin Klein and Donna Caron still operated out of the garment district, the area's output has significantly declined over the last several decades, largely due to the same factors that fueled the initial growth technology and global trade. It became increasingly cost-effective to produce materials abroad. Handcrafted garments made by individual seamstress and tailors were replaced by mass production design from automated assembly lines. So first the labor-intensive, high-skilled jobs like sewing and button making disappeared, which was followed by associated enterprises, including fabric wholesalers. But by the 1980s only a shell of the fashion production industry remained in the actual garment district. There was an attempt to address this imbalance and preserve the history of the garment district, supported by the Leon Levy Foundation, and it was started in 2006. In 2007, the foundation partnered with the Graduate Center CNC to conduct academic symposiums examining the history of the garment manufacturers in New York City. So fast fashion and the rise of fast fashion kind of killed the industry. To be completely transparent. That was kind of a quicker overview of the industry. Now I'd like to dig deeper into varying segments of the industry. First let's pop back over into the Lower East Side to talk about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
Speaker 1:A garment trade and manufacturing of the late 19th century were initially concentrated in New York's Lower East Side, a neighborhood notoriously characterized by its poverty and overcrowding. Here, hundreds of thousands of Jewish immigrants settled in the dumbbell apartments. They were small, poorly lit and quite poorly ventilated homes, often without private toilets, which, as a modern woman, I cannot imagine. I truly cannot imagine that the living standards were so egregious that, driven by concern for public health and safety, legislation was enacted to halt the construction of these tenement homes. Factory Investigating Commission Report of 1911 went further, recommending the complete abolition of tenement work. These health concerns ushered a new phase for the garment industry the emergence of loft factories. These new facilities were designed to provide essential light and air amenities that tenement housing could not offer. However, these seemingly improved working conditions introduced new methods of worker exploitation. Employers began monitoring workers to prevent idling, covering clocks to obscure the time and notoriously locking exits to prevent early departures. The latter practice tragically led to the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
Speaker 1:On March 25, 1911, a fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. On March 25, 1911, a fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, claiming the lives of 146 workers, primarily young women aged 13 to 23. The factory occupied the top three floors of a loft building near Washington Square Park employing approximately 600 people. At around 5 pm, a fire started on the cutting table on the 8th floor. The building, with its modern wooden-framed interior, quickly engulfed in flames. Employees frantically tried to extinguish the fire, but the stairwell hose had no water pressure, rendering it completely useless. Other escape options were also perilous. Other escape options were also perilous. Some attempted to climb down the elevator shaft, leading to a frantic piling of people just trying to get out, while others decided to jump from windows to their inevitable death. The overwhelming loss of 146 lives that day strained emergency services. Merchants in the surrounding area with their push carts and wagons offered assistance. The overwhelming loss of 146 lives that day strained emergency services Merchants in the surrounding area with their pushcarts and wagons offered assistance, loading bodies to transport them to makeshift morgues and nearby shops.
Speaker 1:Beyond the direct horrors of the fire, daily garment loft working conditions were far, far from ideal. Daily garment loft. Working conditions were far far from ideal. Employers frequently promised wages that they never delivered on, even charged workers for the electricity used at their working stations. In addition to the specific conditions, women workers also faced sexual harassment in the workplace just rampantly. These unbearable conditions catalyze the formation of the first successful garment union, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, ilgwu. Both are mouthful. I think I'm going to go back and forth on what I call it. Maybe I'll call it the ILGWU, maybe I'll call it the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. I am unsure. Both are a mouthful. Notably, female workers at the Triangle factory have faced harassment and even being fired for attempting to unionize prior to the fire factory. This discrimination fueled the strike quote uprising of the 20,000 in 1909, marking the true beginning of the modern garment labor movement.
Speaker 1:The Triangle Factory fire became a pivotal event in the industry's reform, directly leading to the passage of new laws aimed at improving working conditions and preventing such disasters from ever happening again. Okay, so we talked about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, let's talk about the move to Fifth Ave and the zoning that came along with it. So, after a downturn following the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the apparel industry saw a revitalization around 1915, which was largely aided by the introduction of those loft workspaces. However, the local industry soon faced significant obstacles with. The proliferation of affordable lofts meant a dramatic increase in garment workers. Much to the chagrin of Fifth Avenue residents, who considered their streets of New York the most exclusive and expensive neighborhood, the presence of these unsightly factory workers became intolerable to them. Between 1900 and 1910, the garment worker population on Fifth Avenue nearly doubled. This was fueled by the low cost of loft construction for developers and the industry's preference for locations near their retail shops. The influx of workers led to tens of thousands of people crowding Fifth Avenue streets, a site that property and business owners viewed as an immigrant horde.
Speaker 1:Robert Greer Cook, the founder and president of the Fifth Avenue Association, spearheaded efforts to oust the garment trade. Cook's underlying motivation was clear he aimed to transform Fifth Avenue into a high-end shopping destination comparable to London's Bond Street or Paris' Loup de Pays, a vision that he believed the garment industry jeopardized. The FAA, fifth Avenue Association, actively campaigned to force garment workers out. They employed boycotts and pressured large financial institutions to refuse loans for new loft constructions in the area. Throughout 1915 and 1916, the FAA championed what they called the Save New York campaign, successfully pushing for zoning laws that prohibited garment lofts on Fifth Avenue. These efforts culminated on July 25, 1916, with the passage of the zoning law, a move that the New York Times hailed as the most important step in the development of New York City since the subway. Within just three months, an astonishing 95% of the city's garment manufacturers on Fifth Ave had relocated. The FAA, effectively segregated the area, designated a distinct district for the garment industry, thus giving birth to the garment district that we know today.
Speaker 1:Decades later, strict zoning laws notably those put into effect in 1987, have significantly contributed to New York's losing 95% of manufacturing labor force since the 50s. A 2011 report from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the NYCEDC, further indicated that fashion manufacturing declined by an additional 61% since 2001. The district had been steadily losing opportunities, with the Associated Press estimating in 2018 that only approximately 5,000 garment workers remained in the city. A bulk of the jobs that once fueled New York's streets had moved to cheaper labor markets in other boroughs or to other states like California or Texas, and increasingly so overseas. With less demand for manufacturing space in the district, many vacant properties have been converted into office spaces.
Speaker 1:In 2017, new York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's office revealed plans to rezone and revive the Garment District. Concurrently, the city also planned to develop a Made in New York Campus in Brooklyn Sunset Park District. This initiative aimed to create a broader fashion center encompassing both Industry City and the new Brooklyn campus. A month after these plans were announced, the NYC EDC offered financial incentives to businesses willing to relocate from Manhattan to Brooklyn, effectively trying to completely tear down the OG garment district in Midtown. However, the notion that the garment district was being asked to move sparked significant public outcry. In the summer of 2017, the Garment Center's steering committee was formed by then-Manhattan Borough President, gail A Brewer Councilmember, corey Johnson and Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, alicia Glenn. This committee collaborated with the NYC EDC, fashion industry stakeholders, costume and theater industry workers and the Garment District Alliance to advocate for Manhattan's remaining true fashion center. As Julianne Hrskowski, vice president in the development department at NYC EDC, explained, people had it in their heads that the garment district was being asked to move. Gail Brewer emphatically refused to support a plan that directly threatened the core of the garment district, with Barbara Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance, stating she didn't want all these jobs being encouraged to leave for Brooklyn. Due to this strung-up position, the Brooklyn relocation agenda was quietly scrapped.
Speaker 1:Currently, zoning laws in the Garment District require property owners to preserve 700,000 square feet of historic manufacturing space. Building on this, a new plan launched in June 2018 offers real estate tax abatements as an incentive to preserve even more manufacturing space, providing $1 per square foot reduction. In exchange, landlords must offer longer leases a minimum of 15 years and capped rents $35 per square foot as a cap. In addition to these new tax incentives, the city committed $20 million in funding to help business owners acquire space. These efforts appear to be yielding results. In the past five years, more than 1 million square feet of space has been leased to manufacturers in the district.
Speaker 1:Okay, now that we have a true garment district, let's talk about I have two more deep dives, if you don't mind. I have two more deep dives before we kind of wrap it up. So let's first talk about World War II and the rise of New York City fashion. As World War II raged and Paris fell under the German occupation, new York City seized a pivotal opportunity to emerge as the world capital for fashion. Recognizing this moment, mayor LaGuardia yes, the namesake for LaGuardia Airport moved decisively to capitalize on the city's garment industry. He spearheaded the formation of the New York Dress Institute, an initiative designed to aggressively promote New York as a premier global fashion design hub. The vision was ambitious to elevate New York City's fashion stature to rival that of Paris. A distinctive New York creation label was even conceived, intended to be sewn on the garments made in the district as a coveted symbol of prestige. Following the establishment of the Dress Institute, the city further cemented its commitment to fashion education. In 1944, the Fashion Institute of Technology and Design now simply the Fashion Institute of Technology, technology and Design, now simply the Fashion Institute of Technology, or FIT, was founded as a two-year institution. This was sponsored by Education Foundation for the Apparel Industry of New York. Today, fit remains integral to the garment district, with its prominent campus located along 7th Avenue and West 27th Street. The institution offers a broad curriculum that encourages mastery of the fashion industry, encompassing everything from design and management to marketing.
Speaker 1:Despite these concerted efforts by Mayor LaGuardia and his team to position New York as a fashion mecca, the district still experienced a downturn in employment during and after World War II. This decline was largely attributed to the devastating low wages, with the rise of ready-to-wear and mass-marketed clothing at increasingly lower prices, regulating and enforcing fair wage standards for workers became an insurmountable challenge. The dress industry, along with coats, suits and the skirt sector, were particularly hit hard by these economic shifts, and they were because we saw a rise in sportswear and athleisure. If you watched my episode on athleisure, you would be a little familiar with this next part. Between 1947 and 1956, the garment district and New York City's fashion industry as a whole faced significant losses. In stark contrast, the garment manufacturing in numerous other cities across the US experienced almost an overnight boom. Counties just outside of New York City gained nearly 11,000 jobs, and states like Pennsylvania and Texas, along with the American South more broadly, rapidly grew in importance within the industry.
Speaker 1:The primary driver behind the decline in demand for New York's garment production was the widespread popularization of sportswear in the 1950s. Sportswear introduced the concept of modular options, as garments were sold as separates, allowing consumers to mix and match according to their personal style. Coincidentally, the rise in sportswear aligned with a growing trend toward a more casual lifestyle as Americans increasingly moved from major cities into the suburbs. This demographic shift exacerbated the demand for cheaper labor. The trend toward more casual clothing coincided with political victories for the International Ladies' Garment Worker Union, particularly in their success in controlling wage scales. Manufacturers believe that sportswear. Since it did not require highly skilled tailors, they chose to pay unskilled workers at lower unskilled rates. This then led to the proliferation of large production sites in regions like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, directly contributing to the garment district's decline. Competition for the garment district continues to intensify as Pennsylvania, texas, even overseas countries began to gain relevance due to their lower labor costs.
Speaker 1:By the 1980s, imports accounted for nearly half of all clothing sold in the United States. Many garment district business owners struggled to stay afloat and to keep the pace, forcing them to merge with other firms and or drastically cut costs to survive. Simultaneously, securing cheap labor within New york city itself became increasingly difficult. Long had the garment district relied on immigrant workers, specifically jewish and italian immigrants, but they had largely as exited the trade and new immigrant workers were not entering the industry in a sustainable number to provide necessary and expensive labor, ie the garment district could no longer profit off exploitation of labor. Um, but that's not what we were talking about. The garment district, once a central employment source for newly arrived immigrants, was losing its traditional workforce. This trend is evident in employment figures. The number of people employed in fashion-related jobs in New York City dropped approximately from 180,000 in 2014 to 130,000 in 2024. Similarly, the number of people receiving fashion-related degrees decreased by almost one-third, from 3,800 in 2016 to 2,600 in 2022.
Speaker 1:Recommendations for New York City. According to a study by the Partnership for New York City, the city's influence as a capital fashion might be slipping. The study offers several key recommendations to re-establish New York's dominance in the fashion space. One of the first recommendations is to form a leadership coalition Create a coalition of prominent fashion leaders tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to restore the industry's prominence. This coalition would spearhead the establishment of fashion accelerators, essentially business incubators providing mentorships and resources to help young designers expand their brand in business. The second recommendation was develop a designer campus to expand on the mentorship initiative by creating a dedicated designer campus that this would provide collaborative spaces for young creators, which is run by experienced professionals, which is run by experienced professionals. Recommendation number three would be sponsored curated storefronts To address the retail gap within the garment district sponsored curated storefronts featuring local designers to showcase their work and create a vibrant new retail experience. And the last recommendation is possibly one of the biggest impacts that they could have Reduce fashion week costs.
Speaker 1:Perhaps most significantly, the prohibitive cost of participating in New York City's fashion weeks deters new blossoming designers. Brands like Oscar de la Renta had their first major big break at fashion week and the current participant cost is ranging from $200,000 to nearly $1 million, depending on the customizations. It's simply not feasible for emerging talent. The study recommends significantly reducing this cost, ideally to approximately $100,000. It was also recommended that perhaps a portion of the cost be subsidized for further accessibility. Okay, I have one more deep dive for you. It's about organized crime in the Garment District.
Speaker 1:So while the Garment District soared to prominence, a less celebrated source is said to have orchestrated much of the original flourishing the Gambino crime family original flourishing the Gambino crime family. Their control over the industry was extensive, deeply intertwined with mob-controlled sweatshops and, crucially, trucking contracts. Much of their power stemmed from the consolidation of trucking controlled through the formation of the Master Truckmen of America. If a new trucking company dared to enter the scene, its workers would, for non-suspicious reasons, suddenly unionize under the ILGWU, local 102, and go on strike. A notable instance occurred in 1969 when one of these orchestrated strikes halted all shipments in and out of the district, prompting a significant increase in police presence in the district.
Speaker 1:The roots of the Gambino family's involvement can be traced back to labor racketeering, where employers would pay gangsters to organize intimidation tactics against strikers. One particularly notorious figure, dopey Benny Fien, was reportedly hired to protect United Hebrew trade workers from 1910 to 1914. Fien is often considered the pioneer of institutionalized racketeering. He operated with chilling efficiency and even maintained a comprehensive list of services offered. For example, raiding and disrupting small plants cost $150, throwing a manager or foreman down an elevator shaft was $2,000, and simply breaking a thumb or an arm was $200. Dopey Benny's reign ended in 1914 with his arrest for attempted murder. His successor, louis Lepke Buchhalter, exerted control over the district, particularly in its trucking operations, for decades beginning in 1927, butchhalter's influence coincided with the period of weakening for the ILGWU, which was facing exploitation by manufacturers.
Speaker 1:Historically, during times of industry instability instability criminal organizations exploit vulnerable business owners by offering high interest loans. Loans for firms struggling to perform inevitably defaulted on and furthering entrenching the racketeering powers. The grip on the organized crime was nearly broken after a significant sting operation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office which exposed the Gambino family and their quote-unquote henchmen. However, this did not resolve the Garment District's deeper troubles, even after the family's diminished reign, the district saw manufacturing and apparel cut in half between 1957 and 1977, a decline that sadly continued into the 90s, into the 80s. But we already touched on the decline reasoning, that of labor costs, that of ever-changing development in the United States, globalization as a whole.
Speaker 1:The Garmer District Alliance currently serves as a vital guardian of New York's historic fashion district. Its core mission is to collaborate with local buildings and business owners, aiming to enhance the quality of life and bolster the economic vitality of the neighborhood. Established in 1993, this organization was formerly known as the Fashion Center BID Business Improvement District. Among its notable impacts was successfully advocating for the city-offered tax incentives designed to revitalize the garment district as a fashion job hub. However, these efforts yielded limited results, as many fashion jobs ultimately relocated to areas like Brooklyn's Navy Yard.
Speaker 1:The COVID-19 pandemic also delivered a significant blow to the Garment District. Barbara Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance, noticed the district's trajectory right before the pandemic hit, right before COVID, she says the Garment District was on an upswing. People were interested in exploring the neighborhood and ground floor retail was improving. The pandemic abruptly halted orders, severely disrupting the global supply chain, forcing stores to close, and left manufacturers with mountains of unsold inventory. Beyond these manufacturing side effects, in-person work seized almost entirely and consumer design's preferences shifted seemingly overnight, as people spent more time in their homes. In a remarkable pivot, many shops within the garment district swiftly transitioned to produce personal protective equipment PPE for hospitals. This crucial adaptation helped to keep numerous businesses afloat during the time of an unprecedented crisis.
Speaker 1:Urban planner Clayton Gillette investigated the broader effects of COVID-19 on the dense urban areas. Specifically examining the rise and fall of the Garment District. He concluded that the surge in remote work proved detrimental to the urban landscape. While New York City had been an undeniable magnet for the industry from the late 19th century, throughout the 20th century the pandemic delivered a profound shock. Demand increasingly gravitated toward lower cost, less fashion-oriented clothing, prompting leading brands to seek manufacturing elsewhere. This trend accelerated the overall decline of the once-moving district, a decline that, ironically, began not with the city's help, but often in spite of the zoning policies.
Speaker 1:The garment district has been the heart of New York City's, dare I say, identity since the late 19th, early 20th century. It has been paramount to New York's building a foundation making a name for itself. Without the garment district, I don't know that Fashion Week would be a thing in New York district. I don't know that fashion week would be a thing in New York. The garment district has seen many evolutions, it's seen many eras, it's seen many phases of employment, of bustling, booming business, but at present it is on the decline. So while I don't live in New York, I can appreciate New York from Missouri. That's the Garment District.
Speaker 1:That is my deep dive on the Garment District. I do have many more notes that just went on random side tangents. So if you want to know, I think I just skipped over yeah, I just skipped over growth and architectural development and yeah, that's all I skipped over, mainly because it was very wordy, really just yada yada. So I hope you enjoyed this was really fun. For me it was a big deep dive. Let me just tell you it was one of my biggest deep dives. But the garment industry is all over New York and I do really, really, really really want to do like a fashion tour of New York. I've only been to New York once, when I got married, but it was really overwhelming just taking in the city as a whole.
Speaker 1:So now that I know what to expect, I would love to see the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. First of all, there's a memorial right outside of Washington Square Park. My husband and I walked on Waverly Place, which is one street over from the Triangle Shirtwaist Memorial. I was right there and I didn't even know it, so I must go back. Somebody send me back, please.
Speaker 1:But yeah, thank you so much for joining me today to learn about the Garment District. I hope you did enjoy. I'll leave some of my links down below so that you can further expand your knowledge if you so choose, as well as my actual social media links if you'd like to follow me. But yeah, until next time I will see you everywhere and nowhere all at once. Next time's topic is the fashion industry as a whole. It's also going to be another deep dive, but, fair warning, my only resources because it was getting a little overwhelming my only resources is my fashion encyclopedia that I will cite a billion times next episode. So just trigger warning. Thank you again for the 15th time and I will see you next time. Bye.
