Up and Coming for the Up and Coming

Ruby Warrington wrote and published “Manufacturer New York Provides Production Facilities to Independent Designers,” in the New York Times on October 9, 2013, about Ms. Bob Bland and her vision to house production and manufacturing centers for up and coming designers in New York’s garment district. According to Warrington, “New York’s garment district has seen 90 percent decrease in jobs since the early 1990’s,” providing necessity for Ms. Bland’s program, and her work to aid independent designers in their climb up the fashion ladder. Designers utilizing Ms. Bland’s facility would pay a $275 monthly membership, which provides members with high quality equipment, manufacturing space, “all the stuff you should have learned in fashion school but didn’t,” according to Ms. Bland, and the chance for independent designers to “make it” in the cut throat fashion industry. “Manufacture” is set to open in 2014, and seems to be a promising aid to independent designers looking to showcase their work without reporting to a label-a reassuring concept in today’s shrunken design job market.

Manufacturer New York Provides Production Facilities to Independent Designers by Ruby Warrington