Starting up a fashion label can be beyond pricey and the financial challenges of starting your own line are often what prevents many fashion professionals from going that route.  Costs include labor, factories, materials, advertising, equipment, and much more all of which can prove to be great obstacles for the new designer. But an up-and-coming designer in NYC has a uniquely expensive hurdle.  And frankly whatever field you’re in, if you’re a New Yorker you know what we are talking about (hell, there was even a musical named after it) RENT.

The cost of real estate in the city is so ridiculously high that it’s nearly impossible for anybody without major financial backing to start a business. Unlike other areas of the US where a designer can start up a business in a spare bedroom or basement, that is not feasible in a 300 sqft studio in Manhattan or while sharing a tiny Brooklyn walk-up with three roommates.  Some innovative designers do make it happen but then face the rent challenge when they want to grow their business and find themselves needing larger office or manufacturing space.

This dilemma is where the Garment Center comes into play and one of the reasons it is so important to support efforts to save the Garment Center.  Unlike other areas of Manhattan where office space goes for  an astounding $65 a sqft plus, the Garment Center thanks to government and zoning protection, is able to keep rates below market for fashion manufacturing businesses.  This is a huge benefit for many local NYC designers.  For example, women’s brand THL Inc./ Zelda Brand just got a great deal down the block on 39^th street for a 6000 sqft space and the rent is only $35 a sqft.  Also in that building are tenants like Tracy Reese, Vivienne Tam, and Carlos Falchi.

However, this same scenario is exactly why the Garment Center is still struggling and why many young designers are fleeing to the Boroughs and even New Jersey! While $35 a sqft is far less then $65 a sqft (the normal Manhattan commercial pricing) the discounted rent is still $210,000 in rent!  Many young designers not only do not have that kind of rent budget, but often have even less capital to cover their entire line.  Recently we found this listing on Craigslist for a smaller design office or factory space with a more reasonable rent of 140k a year.  But as good as these deals may sound to a NYC real estate guru, to a start-up fashion designer rent can seem like a insurmountable obstacle in NYC.  When the same amount of office space can be found in Atlanta for $6 a sqft, or Portland for $8 a sqft, or even LA for $10 a sqft,  what is keeping designers local?

Well, the obvious answer is NYC is the heart of the fashion industry and the Garment Center is its soul.  From fashion schools to publishers, fabric suppliers to sample rooms we have it all.  Unfortunately, having it all is just not as affordable as it should be. We have written extensively on why New York is the place to be for fashion, there really is no other place in the US so fundamentally geared to support the industry and for many of us no other city as inspirational. It is our challenge to make working and thriving in NYC affordable for future American designers.

Please help support the Garment Center and all the efforts to save it for the fashion industry by visiting, the Save The Garment Center Organization and joining up.  Also, for more info on real estate in the Garment Center and all the latest deals and offerings click here.

Made in Midtown from Design Trust for Public Space on Vimeo.

Today we have the inside scoop for you on a new and upcoming project called, Made in Midtown. The CFDA has partnered with the Design Trust to study New York’s fashion industry and its relationship to the Garment Center. They will be launching a full website in April, but you can check out a preview of it here.  The above video, courtesy of MadeinMidtown.org provides some fascinating insight, from fashion designers and Garment Center supporters, Diane von Furstenberg and Yeohlee Teng.

Made in Midtown will work to guide city policy on land use and zoning in the Garment District by creating a compelling and feasible vision for the role of creative industry in NYC.  They intend to make our neighborhood’s industrial ecosystem visible and accessible to a broad public audience.  We look forward to following their progress and we’ll keep all of you up to date on their launch.

Borzoi + sweater hybrid? And what’s up with purse, just because Marc Jacobs wears a skirt now, does not mean guys should be shopping in the Women’s department!

Oops, I forgot my top. “Look at me, really, LOOK at ME! And did I mention, I just LOVE running with traffic in Manhattan?”

Flashdance meets Beetlejuice.

Grunge returns and really isn’t better the second time around. Seriously, if it is barley flattering on a tall, skinny, model, so why would the rest of us even try?

But however bad NYC fashion can be, New Jersey always takes the cake.

For more of our favorite street style NYC blogs, please click on the pictures and enjoy!

We here at 39th & Broadway are wishing all our lovely readers a very Happy New Year!! May this year be the best yet for all you fabulous fashionistas. And let’s all toast to 2010 bringing the fashion industry back (more jobs, please) to being the successful powerhouse it deserves to be!

This little blog has grown considerably in the last year and our dear readers have made our blogging experience better then we could have dreamed. So thank you, because without all of you, we never would have kept this site going for so long. We hope you will continue to participate, read, share and spread the word about 39thandbroadway.com.

New Year’s is finally upon us and NYC takes on a whole new vibe this time of year.  Those of us who work in the Garment Center can occasionally see the back (or at least, reflection of) the New Year’s Ball from our offices. Time Square which is our neighbor to the north, becomes overrun with tourists, events, photographers, NYPD, media and more this week. The iconic images of the Times Square Ball dropping on New Year’s Eve, is surreal for those of us who walk through the area on a daily basis. It’s like returning to the house you grew up in, but the new owners and all their belongings now reside there. You recognize it, it looks familiar, yet it is now a completely different entity. Well, that’s how we feel about New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Yes, strange but true.  And regardless of the traffic and garbage that comes along with this event, we wouldn’t have it any other way!

So, whether you are ringing in the new year at a gala Uptown, a bar Downtown, or fighting the tourists in Midtown, we know that our readers will be doing it in style! So have a very Happy New Year!

(In the midst of a major winter blizzard, we are taking a moment to appreciate this amazing place that we call NYC.  So that is why we are republishing this older (but a favorite) post.  This fashion flashback was originally posted in February 2008.  So, grab a cup of hot cocoa on this blistery evening and please enjoy… )

In honor of the holiday season we dedicate this post to the one true love we all share, our city.  So from everyone here at 39th and Broadway in New York City; the most beloved city in the world. In no particular order here are the top 15 reasons we love New York City.

#1.  Because of our fashion.  Fashion week, the best fashion schools, top notch shopping, and the Garment Center of course; wherever you are in the city, your fashion fix is only a block away.

#2.  Because our mayor works for free.  Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who does not need the work, has done such an excellent job of managing the country’s biggest city, on a $1 yearly salary, that many politicians from both sides of the aisle encouraged him to run for the presidency.

#3.  Because you’ll never be short of visitors.  Living in NYC, family and friends will often visit because everybody wants to see New York.  Not to mention, all the visits from people in town on business and anyone traveling overseas.

#4.  Because Frank Sinatra was right when he said, “If you can make it here you can make it anywhere” and he wasn’t talking about Bismarck.

#5.  Because wherever you were born, you are a New Yorker now.  With the most diverse population, millions of us New Yorkers were not born in this state or even this country, but once you’re here you’re home.

#6.  Because Britney Spears, George Bush, Simon Cowell, Sara Palin, Manny Ramirez, and Spencer Pratt don’t live here.

#7.  Because Alicia Keys, Bill Clinton, Tim Gunn, Katie Couric, Derek Jeter, and Whitney Port do.

#8.  Because you can travel the world without leaving your neighborhood.  Where else can you stand on a street corner and hear 10 different languages spoken? And within 3 blocks encounter food from a dozen various countries yet still be in the United States.

#9.  Because if it’s 1am on Tuesday evening and you want to hang a picture, eat sushi, drink a Brooklyn micro brew, and get lucky, you can have them all delivered, thanks to your local hardware store, Japanese restaurant, bodega, and “massage” parlor.

#10.  Because our transportation snafus make worldwide front pages.  NYC is the only place where US Airways flight 1549 could land in a river and have first responders on the scene within 60 seconds.  Thanks, Sully!

#11.  Because we still get our meat from the butcher, our fish from the fish market, our cheese from a cheese shop, and there isn’t a Wal-Mart or Meijers in town.

#12.  Because when you tell people where you’re from, when you travel back home or abroad, their response tells more about them than about you.  Either you get, “That’s awesome, how exiting, but I could never live there.” From the content with their life non-urbanite or you get, “Ew New York, so you think you are better than me, well at least I don’t have to worry about getting mugged.” From the insecure, jealous bumpkin, or lastly, “Really, oh my God, I would love to live there.” From the future New Yorker.

#13.  Because a year riding the F train is like completing courses in Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Theology, Health, and Human Sexuality.

#14.  Because it’s not New Jersey!

#15.  Because our history is around every corner and on every block it’s a constant reminder of where we all came from and where we’re going.  Our view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remind us how many of us got here and the prewar buildings we live in and work in, remind us of how we made it.  In a city with thousands of landmarks, we are constantly living in our past, present and future and we think our neighborhood, the Garment Center, is the perfect example of this.

The above video is from last month’s Save the Garment Center rally.  The rally was a huge success but really just a first step in the efforts to save our industry. The Save the Garment Center organization is moving forward with the next phase and is holding a town hall meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the issue in-depth.  So please, if you can, head on over before work to Parson’s and show your support. Here are all the details:

Join the Board of Directors of SAVE THE GARMENT CENTER on DECEMBER 8TH for our first official “town-hall style” meeting at Parsons The New School for Design. The first half of the meeting will be an informative presentation about the launch of SAVE THE GARMENT CENTER as a non-profit trade association. What you’ll learn:

• Our official platform and mission

• Our action-oriented agenda

• Organization membership and how to become involved

• What’s been accomplished to date

• What is happening in NYC on the government level

• What is happening in Washington DC on the government level

• Where to buy SAVE THE GARMENT CENTER tee shirts

The second half of the meeting is up to you.  We want to hear the voices of the garment district in an open-mic format.  Tell us about the challenges you are facing, and how our organization can better serve your needs.  All ideas and points of view will be welcomed.

Flickr image via jennaddenda

Can zoning save the Garment Center?  That was the question batted around a discussion panel we recently attended.  Fashion heavyweights, city planners, Garment Center representatives, and the public, gathered to discuss the future of the Garment Center.  As we have mentioned many times before, zoning (as boring and unfashionable as it sounds) has played a key role in the development of the NYC fashion industry.  Barry Dinerstein, a NYC City Planner, reminded us that the 1987 zoning laws are what protected our neighborhood in the past, and really have enabled the Garment Center to continue to exist as the heart of the American fashion industry today.

The zoning laws protect the buildings in our neighborhood from being converted into hotels, condos, law offices, and basically any other non-fashion related business.  However, as we all know, landlords break these laws all the time.  Zoning laws are step one, but actually enforcing them is the greater challenge.   In today’s technically advanced world, a fashion business is just as likely to be a room full of people working on computers, as it is employees hunched over sewing machines. Unfortunately, this leads to difficult grey areas for inspectors to enforce, when they are unsure of what constitutes legal “use” of manufacturing space.

From the design perspective: Stan Herman, former president of the CFDA, made it clear that the hundreds of designers he represents support the protection of the Garment Center.  He admits, that like others he does not know exactly what that means for the future.  Designers are firm in their belief that the core manufacturing space should remain.  The shear geographical and logistical ability that the Garment Center has to support fashion professionals, from buyers to designers, within a few small blocks can’t be found anywhere else in the country.   One particular project that Stan was very excited about was the Fashion Incubator Program.

The program, which was announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a way the city is stepping up to support emerging designers. Since we all know how ridiculously expensive it is to get office space in NYC, not to mention how practically impossible it is to financially launch a label, the city is offering help. The Fashion Incubator Program will provide state of the art showroom space to 12 young designers in the heart of the Garment Center. Below is a CAD of the proposed space.  While we love the concept of the program, with hundreds of design professionals out of work in the area, not to mention  hundreds more graduating every semester and flocking to NYC for work, we would think space for a 100 would be a start, but 12 seems more like a PR stunt.  Yes, cynical we know, but 12? Really?

Many others spoke including Magda Aboulfadl from Community Board 5, who shared her personal experiences working in the Garment Center.  She also reminded us why the Garment Center is so special and its unique ability to house both grit and glam in a few short blocks.  The president of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, (i.e. the button and the needle kiosk) Barbara Randall reminded us of our neighborhood’s history in manufacturing.  The entire area was built specifically to house clothing factories in the 1920’s.  At one time the Garment Center provided over 200,000 production jobs, while today there are only 9,000.  Barbara too admits that in the wake of overseas production and in order to keep landlords profitable, there is no clear solution for protecting the neighborhood.

On a positive note, Patrick Murphy from New York City’s Economic Development Corporation revealed that the city considers fashion to be a growth industry.  He explained that the city believes in supporting its “creative economy” and if we have learned nothing from the last year it is that NYC needs to become less reliable on Wall Street.  Our neighborhood, despite its challenges, is the US fashion capital with no other city even coming close.  As Patrick pointed out, every major company has a design office here, from Calvin Klein to Walmart.  And let’s not forget that out of town retail buyers spend more than 18 billion dollars on goods a year in this little neighborhood.

So will zoning save the Garment Center?  It seems before this question can even be answered we all need to decide what version of the Garment Center needs to be saved.  No doubt zoning will certainly help. It is a much needed foundation to protect the fashion industry and American apparel manufacturing.

With so much attention recently on New York’s apparel manufacturing, from the rally to the HBO documentary, the Garment Center is finally getting the recognition it deserves.  But the events do not end there; tomorrow on Tuesday November 17^th there will be a discussion held called, What is the future of New York City’s garment district?  The panel will be held downtown, at Studio X (180 Varick Street, Ste 1610) at 6:30pm.  Among those speaking are, Barry Dinerstein (NYC’s City Planner), Stan Herman (Former President of the CFDA), Barbara Randall (President of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District), and several more.  So please come and show your support, the event is free and open to the public.

** Update, we just got back from hearing a fascinating group of people discuss our favorite topic, the Garment Center and we will have a full report on our experience next week, so stay tuned!**

To all our lovely readers, specifically those that are in the neighborhood this week, we need your help!  This Wednesday, October 21^st at noon there will be a rally to help Save the Garment Center.  So please, come and show your support for our neighborhood and meet at the corner of 39^th St and 7^th Ave, aka by the needle and button.

Nanette Lepore has worked with the Save The Garment Center Initiative to host this rally.  Hopefully, this event will remind the New York City politicians why the Garment Center is such an integral part of the city.  This rally is a bold reminder of fashion’s importance, especially considering the apparel industry is the second largest employer in all of NYC.  As Nanette said, “The fashion district is facing extinction, and small factories are being lost to developers. Without it, young designers cannot get their start in New York City…. I don’t think the local government understands how it works. I’ve been trying to get a meeting with Bloomberg for a year…the mayor would rather have Chi-Chi’s and the Olive Garden in the area. I think he wants to ignore us so he can get his agenda passed through, but on October 21st, he’s going to have to pay attention.”

Many smaller designers like Trina Turk, Anna Sui, Erin Fetherston, Reem Acra, and more are participating.  However, Nanette is calling out larger brands like Ralph Lauren and Donna Karen to get on board as well.  For the fashion industry to remain successful and all our jobs to remain secure, an organized support group such as the Fashion Caucus we mentioned here would be invaluable.  Gaining political backing would help sustain the future of the industry, as well as, assist in the efforts to Save the Garment Center.

So please, everyone take an early lunch on Wednesday and stop by the needle and button, at least for a few minutes, and show your support for our industry and our neighborhood.  See you there!

For those of you not in NYC, you can help as well by signing the petition to Save the Garment Center here.  Also if you missed the HBO movie last night on the Garment District make sure to catch it on demand shortly. Here’s a clip for your viewing pleasure;

This past fashion week we had the privilege of experiencing a variety of fashion industry events. This is the time of year to recognize the world of fashion and specifically its hardworking designers. Some, like the big name designers at the Bryant Park runway shows are gushed over by every media outlet, and others, like the design teams plugging away in the Garment Center for manufactures, retailers, and mainstream brands are often featured here on our little blog.  However, today we’d like to focus on the independent designers who are trying to build a label and succeed (often with little corporate backing but immense talent) in New York City.

First up, we visited the Garment Center installation featuring a collective of emerging NYC designers.  The show was called, Made in NYC: Past, Present, and Future. The lines of three local designers, Francoise Olivas, Gina De Silva, and Eva Khurshid (designs pictured in order above), all not only run their business from here, but pledged to continue producing their lines in the Garment Center.  We only wish we had been able to spend more time here but we were very impressed with the message, as well as, the pieces.  It was sad to see how tight the budget clearly was for this event and for designers in general in this city.  The show was rightfully held in an old factory loft in our neighborhood, with Anna Sui and Nanette Lepore donating display pieces. Still it was evident that they unfortunately did not receive the big corporate sponsors they really do deserve. Launching, running, and producing a clothing line in this city is no longer easily accessible, and bravo to these designers for doing it. Additionally we must mention that at the event, they screened a part of the new HBO documentary, SCHMATTA:Rags to Riches to Rags, which is a fascinating look at the history of manufacturing in the Garment Center. Check out the teaser for the movie…

We were also honored to be invited to a private studio showing of Christian Francis Roth’s new collection, for his francis line. Christian (pictured below playing with some new fabric) is another talented and innovative New York based designer whose studio is located in the heart of the Garment Center.  For you young-ins who may not remember, Christian was a huge star on the fashion scene in the 1990’s, and while in his early twenties he won the coveted CFDA “Perry Ellis Award for New Talent.”  Many of his pieces are considered classics and are on display at the Met’s Costume Institute.  Now he is back with his new eclectic and whimsical line, francis.

As we all too well know, in this industry, success is measured season by season, which makes it exceptionally hard for independent designers to compete. In this market, many of us have faced downsizing, company bankruptcies, cancelled lines and the outlook can feel bleak.  However, Christian’s new line was a welcome reminder that as times change, new and often better opportunities can arise. Often we learn and cut our teeth in the early years of our careers and come back smarter and wiser. Take a look at the francis line here and I think you’ll agree that Christian has really hit on something wonderful.

Check out the images of Christian’s studio below and you will see a far different experience than many of us have in the corporate world of fashion. No cavernous showrooms, suited sales teams, beige conference rooms or monotonous cubicles here. Yet, familiarly there are body forms in place, walls labeled with mood board themes for the collection, and sketches posted about.  There were also packages for China prepared, which makes Christian the perfect example of how many local designers find the expense to produce domestically too high for them to stay profitable. This situation is another reason to help support efforts being made to Save the Garment Center and make manufacturing affordable for our independent designers. And of course despite the fact that it was 8′oclock in the evening, no one blinked that people were still working on finishing product. For those of us who work in fashion, we know a 9-5 day is a fallacy.

Not only was meeting Christian and seeing his line a privilege but so was meeting up with several fabulous bloggers who we’ve been dying to meet like Midtown Girl, Jessica from What I Wore, and Alixrose.   So thank you to the lovely Wendy Brandes for setting up this event and making sure champagne flowed, as we all enjoyed the company. After a scrumptious meal, (sans Christian who of course was working away) we got to spend some time with Jennine of The Coveted, Jordana of Clutch 22 (pictured below with Wendy trying on a stunning plaid francis frock), the Fasshonaburu ladies and more. For more on this event check out the francis blog, which Wendy B is so kind to run as well

Move over Obama, Anna Wintour plans to single handedly pull us out of the recession.  In case you have not yet heard (or seen the hundreds of signs throughout the city) September 10^th 2009 has been named, Fashion’s Night Out! So what exactly is Fashion’s Night Out?  It is the night when retailers, in thirteen fashion capitals around the world, join together to inspire consumers and invigorate the economy.  It is a global initiative to boost consumer confidence and generate business for the fashion industry.  Vogue Magazine, The Counsel of Fashion Designers of America, and the City of New York have joined together for our Fashion’s Night Out.

September 10^th, also the first evening of Fashion Week, will feature an abundance of fabulousity.  There will be celebrity appearances, parties, musical performances, makeovers, and sweepstakes galore.  The big focus will be on all the retailers who have joined in and agreed to stay open late with all sorts of deals and special events.  In NYC through all five boroughs, over 700 stores will be participating, so prepare to get your shop on!

While new details are still being announced, check out this link to in shop events.  Some of our favorites are Anna Wintour hosting from the Macy’s in Queens (Gasp), Bergdorf Goodman where Andre Leon Talley will be hosting a fashion game show with Donna Karen and Robert Verdi .  Chanel is giving free manicures and downtown Rag and Bone is turning into an Irish Pub with free beer and a live band!  So mark your calendars for Fashion’s Night Out, we’ll see you there!

**Update – There is a lot going on just down the block on 34th Street. Celebs and designers at Herald Square’s Macy’s to cocktails at Banana Republic!  For more details on events in our neighborhood check out this post from Fashion Herald.**

It’s a busy time in the New York City political arena, and Bloomberg is not the only man under fire.  John Liu who is running for City Comptroller, is in the midst of a Garment Center scandal.  In case you missed the TV ads, they begin by featuring a young John Liu as the narrator tells us how his parents moved to America and had him working in sweatshops by age 7.  It is a heart wrenching immigrant story on the dark side of our industry, playing out for political gain.

However, where things get really interesting is when the Daily News got ahold of this story and denounced it as counterfeit.  According to the Daily News, Liu’s mother admitted that never in all her years working in the garment industry did she ever work in a sweatshop nor did her son.  Since the story broke both sides of the argument have wavered a bit and others have come forward with versions of their own story.  John Liu has decided to directly address the people of NYC and especially his supporters by issuing the following letter.

So what’s your take, another politician spinning the truth to gain support of the labor leaders?  Or the all to common history of immigrants taken advantage of and ashamed of their past as sweatshop laborers.

Dear Friend,
We all know that sweatshops exist – even in our modern ethical society
- but no one talks openly about it, especially not people who have
worked in factories. And many people, including journalists, simply
do not understand how these illegal industries operate.
Today’s Daily news article (text in-full at end of message), “City
controller hopeful John Liu touts youth in sweatshop – only family
says it never happened”, is a case-in-point.
What began as a profile suddenly turned into a misleading piece of
‘gotcha’ journalism. A reporter asked for an interview with my
parents to talk about my childhood, and we gave her unfettered access.
My mom was very reluctant and embarrassed to talk about her
experience working in the garment industry.
After the interview, the reporter asked me for a paystub to prove I
actually worked in the factory. We attempted to explain to the
journalist how sweatshops actually work. Unfortunately, we were
unable to dislodge her preconceived ideas about how illegal practices
in the garment industry work.
Not all sweatshops look like a scene from ‘Norma Rae’ or other
Hollywood movies, with people toiling in neat rows in a factory
setting. These factories do exist, but in addition, some sweatshops
use overseas labor involving children as young as 6 years old. Others
- including the one my mother worked in – combined factory hours with
home-based piece work to maximize the exploitation and squeeze the
most out of workers: even after leaving the factory, the work never
ends.
Equally important for sweatshop owners are the weapons of intimidation
and shame, which keep parents from admitting they have involved their
own children in unlawful work situations.
For my parents and so many Asian parents, having worked in a sweatshop
is a shameful past and people choose to bury those memories. It’s
time we brought them out in the open and let people tell their stories
without being subjected to cynical attacks.
35 years ago, I worked with my mom – inside a sweatshop and at home.
For me, it’s not a shameful past. I make no apology for the work
ethic I gained from toiling away many hours in a factory, and I remain
as committed as ever to exposing and ending the sweatshop system.
I am running for Comptroller based on my record of accomplishments and
my fiscal expertise and my vision for what the Office can do. I am
also running to expand opportunity for the millions of New Yorkers who
don’t have a job as well as those who work in sweatshops in the
retail, restaurant, laundry and many, many other industries.

Sincerely,
John C. Liu

Have you ever dreamed of launching your own fashion line?  Or perhaps you’ve just launched a label but are wishing for a place to sell it?  With the high cost of rent in Manhattan, it is nearly impossible for up and coming designers to afford a showroom.  This is where Showroom NY steps in and offers a platform for budget conscience designers.

Showroom NY is supported by the Garment Industry Development Cooperation.  The GIDC is a nonprofit organization that has been working as the voice of apparel manufactures and workers for over 25 years.  We’ve written about them before and all their wonderful work in support of the Garment Center.  Showroom NY has only been around for about two years but they have grown a large presence on the fashion scene.

This space is a tremendous opportunity for indie designers to have a showroom presence in the Garment Center.  Showroom NY features a small rotating group of designers who, of course, produce their goods in New York.  For more information and to see their current collections please visit their website at showroomnewyork.org

We were rather surprised to see Barneys New York’s latest window display, as pictured above.   The window was a scene right out of a gory horror flick, though it did appeal a bit to our morbid sensibilities.  Blood splattered mannequins in couture dresses fighting off attackers was a bold statement, but apparently this display crossed the line according to Barneys creative director Simon Doonan. Its seems Simon was out of town when an employee designed the window and put it up without his approval.  Before you rush off to check out this macabre display, be aware that the display was promptly removed when Simon arrived back in town.  We get that the window may not have been child appropriate and God knows Barneys doesn’t want to scare off any tourists, but in the name of free expression we were saddened to see it removed so quickly.  Oh yeah, this reminded us, Dexter is coming back in September!

                                                          image 

Okay, we are in the heat of it, prime summertime weather, the time of the year when the city is empty. Less tourists, New Yorkers away on vacation, a fantastic season to enjoy life on the coast. Everybody goes away to the Hamptons or the Jersey Shore, nice long weekends, early summer hours, life’s a beach. Umm, unless of course, you work in the Garment Center.  Yeah, that’s right, no break for you! Trapped in over air conditioned office, working around the clock, barley getting to see the sun until Saturday, working in fashion certainly has its downside.  Who else has left the office at 6 or 7 pm on a summer Friday and noticed they are the only ones in Midtown or on their Subway.  It’s eerily quiet at times and you get the distinct feeling that the rest of the world is at a party you weren’t invited to.  Certainly there are some apparel companies that give summer perks but unfortunately most do not.  Add to that, the fact that we are all busy as can be to make deadlines for August’s MAGIC trade show in Vegas. Plus for many designers, rushing to prepare lines for September’s fashion week.  To top it off, many internal executives, outside vendors, and retailers are on vacation; making getting projects done for those of us working even more tedious.  So unfortunately, the mid to end of summer is a busy time for many fashionistas who would rather be sipping Mojitos out on the Island rather than stuck in steamy Midtown Manhattan.  If your situation is at all relatable to ours we have only two suggestions, (A) suck it up and try to enjoy a long lunch-break in beautiful Bryant Park or (B) fuck it and play hooky. It looks like Thursday is going to be a beautiful day…just saying….