We have some sad news to share, which we have been putting off for some time now. Unfortunately, it our dear blog, 39th & Broadway has come to an end. The end has been in sight for a while now as myself, the founder and main writer, has just moved out of NYC (gasp). Yes, it is shockingly true, and while the move (for personal reasons) is only guaranteed for 6 months, that is still to long for me to feel authentically able to continue this very local NYC blog. Also, due my new location and career changes my schedule will likely not permit the attention to blogging that 39th & Broadway truly deserves.  It is incredibly hard to leave the Garment Center and the difficulty of continuing to work in fashion design outside the area is slowly becoming a reality. But leaving NYC as a home is even more heartbreaking.

What started as a small personal blog to be an outlet for a couple Garment Center designers, morphed into a much larger website with a more diverse platform then we could have ever anticipated. This blog has proven to be more of a challenge and yet far more rewarding, than ever imagined. Of course much of this is due to you, our dear readers, who have provided endless support and feedback along the way. Without you this blog likely would have ended long ago. So thank you for being there day in and day out.  Also, the fashion blogger community that has embraced us and inspired us, we are forever indebted to all of you. Finally, we would like to thank all the many contributors who over the last few years have shared with all of us their thoughts and feelings, advice and experience, on living and working in the New York fashion industry. It is all your insider information and personal stories, that made this fashion blog unique, so thank you all.

So for now, this is goodbye but who knows what the future holds. Perhaps we will be back, or perhaps a new blog with a new perspective will develop. For now we will just wait and see how it all plays out. Over the next week or two we will put up a post/page linking many of our top articles and useful industry pieces in a way easy for our readers to navigate. Since much of what we have written is timeless, and since many of you may not have read our older pieces, we will try to get up some sort of comprehensive resource page. We also hope that you will continue to support the efforts to save the Garment Center and will place links and resources for that as well on the top of our site.

We hope you have all enjoyed 39th and Broadway as much as we did, and perhaps learned a little something along the way. Again our deepest thanks to all of you, and a reluctant, goodbye…..For now.

This week we have loads of great links from our fellow fashion bloggers for your reading pleasure.  So grab a cup of joe and settle in for some fabulous fashion scoop. Please enjoy the latest and greatest fashion blog posts from around the web, better known as Links a la Mode!

• 365 Fashion Rehab – Notes from the closet: Day 357! Building better future buying habits by way of a major wardrobe investigation.
• 39th and Broadway – The Fall of Designer Denim.
• Bachman’s Sparrow – Saturday Advice column: develop your personal style into something amazing by learning how to take risks and not dress for others.
• Chrissy Styles – I create an outfit inspired by a painting. This time one by Luc Tuymans:
• D e f i n i n g B e a u t y – Pass it On – What do you do with clothes you don’t want?
• DailyDivaDish – True Cost of Disposable Fashion: You may be paying more than you realize.
• Debutante Clothing – Are you Lying? Why Do You Wear Vintage? A response to 5 Lies Women Tell About Vintage Dresses.
• Emerald Dandy – Meggings: Meant to be?
• Evoluer – 7 girls : 7 bicycles : 7 unique & adorable outfits
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Finance & the Fashion Blogger: Ignore-ance
• Journey to Fashion – From Undergrad Slob to Graduate Fashionista? An introduction to my quest for fashion.
• Missemmamm – How the internet has changed & woman are now more empowered.
• Oranges and Apples – On Beauty.
• Retro Chick – Are you ethically fashionable or fashionably ethical?
• Return to Sender – What do you do when your old insecurities rear their ugly heads?
• Shrimp Salad Circus – Ten things to smile about right this very second.
• Style on a String – The Insatiability for Logos, not Luxury.
• The Coveted – The Coveted launches a new blog dedicated to real women wearing denim.
• The Laundry Narrative – Fighting the urge to justify criticism of fashion blogging as superficial, anti-feminist, and materialistic.
• The Sunday Best – The Best Time of the Year for Menswear
• The Thrifty Poet – How to Feel Beautiful.

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.

Has the era of designer denim come to an end? Did the recession put the final nail in the coffin for the already struggling denim industry? For many, the answer is clearly yes. The high point of designer denim (not counting the 80’s of course) was 2002-2007. We saw the emergence and rise in popularity of brands like James, Paige, Citizens of Humanity, Joe’s, True Religion, and many more that are still in business to day. There was also the quick rise and fall of brands like Von Dutch and Paper Denim & Cloth. Some brands floundered and fought to stay alive for far too long, like Earl Jeans who was bought out by Nautica, then VF Corporation, and now by Jordache. Others found success by selling out to big corporations and launching their own lower priced lines like, Seven Jeans or Lucky Brand. And others struggled through the rise and fall only to succumb to our tough economic times, as is the case with the recent bankruptcy filing of Rock and Republic.

Now that designer denim has lost some of its luster, and with so many brands over-saturating the market (many offering affordable versions of their own designer lines) customers are turning away. For many fashionistas paying over $200 for a pair of jeans seems a bit absurd these days.  Not to mention most denim divas, who will pay any amount for a good fitting pair of jeans, already have closets full of jeans in every wash and fit a girl could want. Plus, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room, or shall we say, leggings. The rise of leggings and other knit bottoms have significantly cut into the denim business over the last few years.

But the biggest challenge to the denim market is that denim (even designer denim) has become a wardrobe staple. Most fashionistas own at least one splurge pair of high-end denim in their wardrobe and countless other affordable and moderate brands as well. Designer denim has lost its novelty; it is no longer a unique “must have” item. The phrase “Japanese Denim Mill” used to fill any denim guru’s heart with desire and now, it just, “oh another Japanese denim brand, what’s new?” Jeans will likely always stay on trend and they will certainly continue to sell, but anyone who works in denim knows the profits and order numbers have shrunken considerably since the early 2000’s. Despite the resurgence of the jean jacket and the double denim trend, sadly the denim market is just not what it was. Denim manufacturers are going out of business, denim fabric mills are closing up shop and the market is flooded with denim designers looking for work. While the average consumer may not notice a huge difference at their local retailer the impact on the business side is undeniable.

So what do you think, will designer denim make a comeback anytime soon? Will denim brands continue to go belly up? Do you have plans to buy more denim this season? Are there any denim brands that you are particularly excited about?

As many of you remember last fall Anna Wintour and the CFDA made history by launching the global fashion event, Fashion’s Night Out.

Well, this September Fashion’s Night Out is coming back bigger and better then ever.  Not only will it be a borough wide shopping event at all your local retailers, but there will also be some new and exciting elements this year.  One addition will be the hosting of New York’s largest fashion show ever at Lincoln Center.  With over 200 top models and 1500 VIP guests, it’s the place to be this fall. Another brilliant addition to FNO will happen thanks to CBS, they are preparing a documentary and filming all the behind the scenes action.  According to FNO the film will, “Look beyond the glamour to the real-life implications at stake, on the individuals working in all parts of the industry, from sales people to design staff, for whom the vibrancy of the fashion business is a question of economic survival.”

Don’t know about you, but we are beyond giddy to see how this year’s Fashion’s Night Out comes together.  September cannot get here soon enough!

Yep, we’re on vacation! Mmmm vacation, what could be better.

While we are gone we’ve compiled a list of timeless posts and all around favorites for your enjoyment.  Also don’t forget about our forum where you can share your opinions and ideas on the state of the fashion industry.

Be back soon!

Can Zoning Save the Garment Center?

The Importance of the Fashion Industry

Death by Over-Scheduling

Life as a Corporate Fashion Designer

Apparel Designer versus Technical Designer

Incompetent Salespeople

Do I NEED to go to Fashion School?

The Modern Face of NYC Designers

The Evil Fashion Boss

Designing Divisions

Fatty, Porker, Chubby, Heifer

Don’t Tell Me To Go On Project Runway!

Why We Hate Forever 21 & Why You Should Too

Equality for Women in the Fashion World

The Garment Center, We Make You Look Good!

For those of you, who like us, find yourselves inexplicably drawn to the train-wreck that is the Real House Wives of New York City, you may have noticed this season’s repeated mentions of Brooklyn Fashion Week. First Alex brought the ladies together to help chose designers for the show (of course like the vapid middle-school drama queens they are, this got overshadowed by yet another rehashing of an old catfight) and explained a bit about the project. Then later in the season we got to see bits of the show (and of course more RHONYC drama, jealous much Jill?) Brooklyn Fashion Week was presented as the younger, more indie, and perhaps more low-brow cousin of NYFW (and a backdrop for the crazy-eyed Ramona to strut her stuff). This got us thinking, besides the famed New York Fashion Week in the Tents, what other fashion weeks are to be found in our city? Well, quite a few it turns out.

Brooklyn Fashion Week — As mentioned on RHONYC, this fashion week takes place after the big Manhattan shows, and focuses on Brooklyn based designers.  This show is held twice- yearly and it benefits the Brooklyn Style Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping up and coming Brooklyn designers.  For more info please click here.

Queens Fashion Week –  Not to be out done by Brooklyn, this is also a biannual Fashion Week of events. QFW is an upscale series of events that shines a spotlight on the trendy goods and services available in Queens.  As one of the most diverse communities in the nation, Queens offers a wealth of fashionable attractions and events.  For more scoop please click here.

Full Figured Fashion Week – This show takes place this June and is geared towards “The State of the Curvy Community.” They will be addressing a huge segment of the population that often gets overlooked when it comes to fashion.  We are eager to see how it goes! For more info click here.

Eco Fashion Week – The Eco fashion shows take place during the traditional NY Fashion Week but are in separate locations around the city.  Some of the outstanding designers that participated this year are Gary Harvey, Vaute Couture, Sonkja De Elzen, Joann Berman, Keia Bounds, Popomomo, Samantha Pleet, Duex FM, Ekovaruhuset, and C. Marchuksuska.  For more info on Eco Fashion week please click here.

Urban Fashion Week – This week of events has been going on for over a decade now and it has some of the boldest fashion statements in all of fashion.  With a distinct flair for the urban fashionista, it is also one of the few fashion events geared as much to men as women. For all the details click here.

Oddly this may be considered one of our more controversial posts (of course we’re use to controversy) but we are going to come out in favor of Crumbs. Yup, that’s right, we love Crumbs! Crumbs is the made-by-hand bakery on Broadway by 38th, known for their flavorful, moist, and addictive cupcakes. It seems most people love them or hate them, but we admit, we love ‘em! Now many people just hate them on principle, for being a chain and available outside the NYC area. But let’s not forget Crumbs started just a few years ago as a mom & pop operation on the Upper West Side of NYC. Obviously New Yorkers feel very strongly about their cupcakes, as Crumbs has over 200 reviews on Yelp with some very passionate commenters.

All in all, we have to say their cupcakes and other pastries are delectable and stand out in a city known for starting the cupcake craze. Not only that, but in the Garment Center they have really filled a much needed niche. We desperately needed a place where, you could get that necessary 4pm sugar rush. When the day is dragging on and you are bleary eyed from endless techpacking or burned out from a three hour fitting, it’s time to get out of the office and run down the block to Crumbs. You no longer have to succumb to the lure of Starbucks or settle for stale pre-made cookies at Europa; instead head over to Crumbs for a decadent fresh baked treat!

To see their full array of treats and get more info check out the Crumbs website, here.

By the way, does anyone else miss the Austin’s that use to be located there? We still walk by, think of Austin’s, and get an unrequited craving for an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese.

(Fashion Flashback – Originally posted on 7/7/09 –  It was just last summer when this article was originally posted, but it is an all time favorite that we just can’t get enough of.  It seems almost every week something happens that makes us want to re-post this. The sad truth is that if you work in fashion, particularly if you are female and in design, you are often dismissed as shallow and lacking any cerebral qualities. It is appalling stereotype thrust onto to many women in our field whose brains are often overlooked in favor of their creative talents. So please enjoy the below post and if you’ve already read it, pass it on to friend in the business!)

We’ve written before about the ridiculous notion that fashion design is an easy career path.  There’s often this absurd image perpetuated in the media that working in fashion is a simple and mindless task.  How many movies have you seen, be it a drama or romantic comedy, where the fashionable creative lead finds her true calling to be a designer three quarters of the way through the movie?  After realizing her “passion for fashion”, a brief montage ensues of her touching fabrics, wrapping a tape measure around her neck, sketching in her spacious Soho loft, running into Bloomingdale’s with her samples, and then poof, she is magically a famous and successful designer.  There, of course, is no mention of college or any educational training, no clips of raising capital or finding investors, no trips to sample rooms and negotiating price-points, no hunting for sales reps or walking trade shows, and God forbid no tech-packing!  Be it television or movies, becoming a fashion designer is always portrayed as a fun and easy afterthought that can make an adorable girl immediately successful by a simple trip to the fabric store!

Celebrities too, do nothing but exacerbate this stereotype.  These days it seems that every celebutaunte and their brother are launching a fashion line.  To the media these celebrities endlessly promote their latest movie or album and then as an aside casually mention that they are launching a fashion label.  In the same vain as: I’m getting a manicure, picking up the dry cleaning, taking my dog for a walk, and um, oh yeah, launching my own clothing line.  The message is loud and clear, fashion design is such a stupidly easy achievement that anyone with half a brain could do it in their spare time.  Those of us in the fashion industry realize of course that these celebrities are not designing their own lines but actually contractually licensing the rights to their name unto apparel manufactures, who in turn hire teams of designers to get the job done.  The result of the celebutard fashion label is the publicly dumbing down of our profession.

Besides attacking fashion as a career, advertising and entertainment have additionally skewed the fashion lover as a brainless consumer who is easily manipulated.  We recently came across this article regarding the insulting ad campaign for Coach’s new line Poppy.  The line, like many going after younger women on a moderate budget, crosses the line from fun to flighty.  Real women can love fashion yet still be intelligent, educated, well rounded human-beings.  To love a pair of fabulous shoes or find joy in perfectly styling an outfit, does not equate to the lowering of an IQ.  Contrary to pop culture images, from Alicia Silverstone in Clueless to the inane eye-rolling and heavy sighing of The Hills girls, fashionistas are not all one dimensional airheads!  The fashion icon as bimbo, from Marilyn Monroe to Jessica Simpson, is an insult to all of us, whether or not you work in the fashion industry.  We would love to see the media stop promoting this image, but we’d also like to see everyone stop buying into it.  Let’s stop rewarding brands who embrace this image, but more so, lets stop ourselves from subconsciously acting on it.  We are encouraging a whole generation of young women, whose vocabulary is reduced to “amazing”, “hot”, “super cute”,and who don’t think twice about resorting to Paris Hiltonesque baby talk, to emulate this stereotype.  Fashion is many things, from a fun shopping diversion, to a multi-billion dollar manufacturing industry, but it does NOT require you to check your brain at the door to enjoy it!

This week’s fashion links will not disappoint, we have tons of great info from fellow fashion bloggers to share. Fashion is booming, creativity is soaring, and we can take a big exhale and shove our worries aside – it’s time to allow ourselves to get excited about wearing some new or all-time favorite spring-weather garments and accessories. And these blog posts are sure to inspire you this season.

For any aspiring fashion bloggers or writers out there, the Independent Fashion Bloggers organization is looking for interns, for more info click here.

Enjoy the latest and greatest fashion scoop, better known as Links a la Mode!

• Chic Steals – What happens to a piece of clothing once it is donated to a charity such as Goodwill?
• Dedicated Follower of Fashion - Explores the new Spring/Summer Collection from Stylesmith:
• Denim Debutante - Three Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Jeans
• Evoluer – My best friend & I came across mint condition vintage Chanel at the local thrift store!
• Fashion Pulse Daily – Discovers a new way to think about dress via Linda Grant’s ‘The Thoughtful Dresser’
• Fasshonaburu - Need inspiration on fun color combination? Try looking at wedding palette articles!
• For Those About to Shop - Breeyn McCarney’s eco-conscious collection finds beauty in despair
• House in Tillford – An interview with two big blogs: learn from their experience on how to grow your own blog
• Idiosyncratic Style – Recycled Style Project: DIY paperclip necklace
• Maple Sucre - The Women x Women Exhibition: Inspiring Young Women to get Behind the Lens
• M.I.S.S. – The Rag Trade: Wear it Now or Wear it Later
• Oranges and Apples - Ways of wearing vintage
• Retro Chick – Video Tutorial: Vintage style victory roll fringe bangs
• Some Kind of Style -  Mr. Sartorialist In Town…
• Style Eyes -  Couture: What’s the Point?
• The Coveted - March Springs, April Showers…. Floral Umbrella for Spring
• TheWellAppointedCatwalk – Suneri on Newbury
• TheWorkingWardrobe – Battle of the Blazers: 25 different blazers for 25 different styles and body types
• TrueQueen – Can Sweat Pants be Sexy?
• Tweet - Simon Ekrelius: Chalk, Mirrors and Confessions
• Widespread – An Interview with a new SF based store who gathers inspiration from the world

— Looking for a non-traditional wedding gown but at an affordable price? Well, if you can wait until Valentine’s Day 2011 you’re in luck. The young and quirky apparel company Urban Outfitters is launching a bridal brand! Yes, you heard that right, but have no fear of ironic screen printing on your gown; the brand is likely to be an off-shoot of their romantic vintage brand, Anthropologie.

— Last week Tommy Hilfiger spoke to students at Notre Dame about working in the fashion industry and his success. One interesting quote from Tommy, “If you are considering inventing something that two people and a dog will be interested in, go back to the drawing board,” he said. “I put my vision through a filter. I knew there was great opportunity in making clothes people would wear and be able to afford. You will be successful if you’re doing something you love.”

— The fabulous fashion site, Fashionista asks the questions, do fashion interns need to be paid? For most of us the unpaid internship was a right of passage, and like all things in school you earned credits not dollars, but should that continue? Read their informative post here.

— So, what is more annoying than celebrities launching fashion labels? When celebrities’ children do.  Madonna and her daughter Lordes have launched the junior label, Material Girl for Macy’s based on Lordes style and her design ability (right, not her mother’s fame and name recognition, sure). Particularly grating is Madonna’s comment, “If Lola wasn’t so completely involved in the line, designing, consulting, whatever you want to call it, I wouldn’t do it. Really she does most of the work, honestly.” We know what we’d call it – licensing your name out.

— More fashionistas scumb to the draw of reality TV. In case you haven’t heard Scott Schumann aka The Sartorialist is said to be working on his own show. All we know now is that it also involves his girlfriend and fellow blogger Garance Dore Vague. BTW if you are a fan of The Sartorialist check out the (we think even more entertaining) kitty version, The Catorialist.

Today we have a fantastic insider interview to share with our readers. One local fit model has provided us the behind the scenes scoop on working as a fit model. For those not in the manufacturing/design side of fashion, you may be surprised to learn that apparel sizing is NOT (contrary to the media’s representation) based on 6′ tall size 0 models, those are “runway” models not “fit” models. Our model (who preferred to remain anonymous) is very experienced and has worked for many years in NYC with several reputable brands. If you’d like another perspective on fit modeling, please check out our heartbreaking post on children fit models, as told by one technical designer, here.  And a special thanks to our model for sharing your story with us!

1.  First, can you explain a bit about what a fit model is?
The way I describe a fit model to most people who ask is, basically I am a live mannequin that tries on clothes prior to the production of the garment. This helps the company’s design team see the structure, the fit and the flow of the material on an actual body posing as a customer to get an idea of how they would like the final product to look. (This is key for us designers, unlike a body/tailor form ,the fit model can tell us if something itches or rides up, we get actual feedback which is priceless!)

2.  For the many people who believe the fashion industry bases clothing sizing and fit off of the size zero runway models, what do you have to say? And what are your measurements?
It’s so funny when I hear about most opinions about what a model should look like, or how most models need to be a “size zero”. In this industry it is much different. An ideal fit model usually fits for a size 6-8. Before I signed with my agency, I was actually told to gain at least 5 pounds. Being 5 ft 9 in, weighing about 130, I never thought I would hear an agency say gain weight but they did. I usually fit for a size 7 juniors my frame tends to be a bit smaller. My measurements are 34 bust, 26.5 waist, 38 hip. (Many fit models average around a size 8 for women, as this is the average size for most clothing brands that carry size 0-16. Additionally, there are mens, childrens, teen, plus size, and even maternity fit models.)

3.  How did you get into fit modeling?
I actually was bartending, and a close friend of mine, also a fit model, saw me and told me I would be great and I should give it a try, so I took a few numbers from her and gave it a shot. To my surprise it was a success.

4.  Give us an idea of what your average day is like.
An average day for me is balancing fitting for a couple of companies for an hour or two, and then running over to go-sees in between. Or it’s a full day of presentations, which is modeling samples for the company to show the buyers the garment. The buyers may add or change certain things to the original garment and create one that is more branded for their line. Such as maybe their customer is more of a younger girl, they may remove some rips in the jean and make it more youthful, change the color, modify the length and so on. (Throughout the design process many changes will be made to the garment. A fit model will often get called back several times to fit the same garment as we make adjustments to it, this will continue until we are happy that we have achieved the perfect fit for our customer.)

5.  You work mostly with the technical design department in companies, how do you feel you are treated and do you feel there are ways to make the relationship more productive and successful?
I feel with all my relationships in my career that my opinion is highly respected and very valued. My clients listen to what I have to say about the garment and use it to their best advantage to try and reach what the customer is looking for through my thoughts, and feedback. (Finding the right fit model is always a challenge. Maybe your customer is smaller and shorter than average, or maybe she is curvier, perhaps she is a tad younger and smaller in the chest and narrower in the hips and shoulders – whatever your need once you find the right model, listen, listen, and listen. This is why you chose them, so not only do you need to visually examine every detail, but listen. The model’s feedback can be crucial.)

6.  What is the best thing about being a model?
Best thing about being a model,( besides the pay check) is seeing the new trends and styles that come out and then a few months later seeing what you fit for in a store. I love knowing that jeans or a shirt will fit me without trying them on because basically they were fit for my body. That’s pretty cool.

Recently the New York Observer ran this ridiculous piece, about how the fashion industry’s smart phone of choice is the Blackberry not the iPhone. Now as avid iPhone users right away we were annoyed, but as we read the piece we were even more offended, as fashion designers. The comments made in this piece were ludicrous, occasionally offensive, and often downright silly. Now if we had to guess what the smart phone of choice was for the fashion industry, we’d have to say fifty-fifty. The Blackberry seems to be a fave among certain fashion divisions like sales, accounting, PR, publishing, and marketing. But the iPhone reigns supreme, among the creative types (which the NY Observers seems to have forgotten exists in droves in fashion) like designers, graphic artists, models, photographers, textile designers, and pattern makers.

What’s so infuriating about the piece, were the comments from the fashion professionals that the Observer used to justify their claim. Especially, the comment from Steven Rojas of Archetype Showroom, “I feel like everything a fashion person does is very text-based. If I’m emailing back and forth with editors all day, I can’t be sitting there with my pointer finger gingerly tapping at my screen.” WTF? Text based? Are you kidding? Yes, we realize you, Steven, are in sales, marketing and event promotion, but are you really that egocentric that you have forgotten about the “fashion people” behind the very products you are promoting. Everything we do is text based? Tell that to the designers, sewers, illustrators, drapers, trend forecasters, colorists, photographers, etc who make it possible for you to even have a business.

Equally absurd is the slide-show’s title, iPhones are for Moms and Poseurs. Hmmm, well guess what Observer?  The fashion industry is predominately female and many are in fact, mothers! No surprise here, but the article is written by a man and all seven fashion professionals interviewed are men. Men who provides gems like, Derek Blasberg’s, “my big manly thumbs too clumsy for that touch screen” luckily most fashion professionals we know don’t have sausage fingers.  Or the Michael Williams critique (which we really don’t see how it’s relative to the fashion industry) “Also, I feel like the best way to get laid with a girl you know is to have her on BBM. You know, you’re out and you’re chatting – there’s no way to replicate that with an iPhone.” Yes, he’s still single ladies!

These guys certainly are entitled to their opinions for preferring one smart phone over the other, (as we all do) but it is unbelievably aggravating for the NY Observer to use them and their preferences, as an example of what fashion industry professionals as whole prefer. Smart phones are a personal preference, like the old right brain vs. left brain debate, there is not one right answer. And the fashion industry, being full of both business minded and creative people, should not be lumped into one category either. Shame on you Observer, for this shallow and narrow minded little piece.

This summer brings a new program to the Garment Center called, Sidewalk Catwalk.  Over 30 mannequins will be displayed between 34^th Street and Times Square, dressed by various local fashion designers.  The last few summers both Times Square to our north, and Herald Square to our south, have gotten make-overs becoming more pedestrian friendly with tables, chairs, planters, and all sorts of perks to appeal to both midtown workers and tourists alike.  However, as we’ve mentioned before our neighborhood, directly between these two hot-spots, has been overlooked but that will not be the case for 2010.

Many top designers will be included in this project like, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, John Bartlett, Tommy Hillfiger, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Diane Von Furstenberg.  One of many challenges these designers face, will be in using materials suitable for outdoor durability.  We are excited to see how the final project turns out, and have not doubt there will be loads of innovative pieces.  Another exciting aspect to the project is that besides established designers, students from both Parsons and FIT will have a chance to contribute their designs!

Bravo to the Fashion Center Business Improvement District for producing the event, as well as, to Macy’s and the NY Times for their sponsorship.  For those of you not working in the Garment District, make sure to stop by and check out the Sidewalk Catwalk on display from June 24^th to Sept 3^rd.

Today we have a fantastic interview that we are thrilled to share with you. Unlike a typical interview with a fashion designer (which let’s face it, is usually just a PR line and standard product promotion) we have gotten the behind the scenes scoop from Brooklyn based designer Lizzy Seklir. Lizzy is the talented designer behind the beautiful and eco-conscience women’s wear line, Lys. Lizzy was generous enough to share with us her design story, give advice for industry newbies, explain the importance of smart textile sourcing, and voice her support for NYC’s Garment Center. Enjoy and be sure to check out her site and shop her line, here.

1) What is your educational and professional background and how do you feel it prepared you for a career in design?
I went to college to study Cinema Studies, and then did a double major in Film and TV at NYU, eventually returning to Cinema Studies for my MA. During and in between, I worked in props and did some costuming. Later on, when I was living in Rhode Island but commuting to NYC frequently, I took part in a vintage sale that happened at the Tribeca Grand about once a month. At that time, I was scouring Rhode Island for vintage and really started thinking about quality, construction, and the history of fashion in an industrial sense. I started seeing how things were made during different periods. My background in cinema, feminist film theory, identity and image began to come into play. I was also trying to find what women wanted to buy, so a practical sales sense was kicking in, too. I don’t know if I am a great sales person, so I wanted to find the things that would sell themselves — the no brainers, which it turns out can be quite diverse, a knit metallic jumpsuit from the 60’s, or simple black knee boots.

2) What drew you to fashion and specifically to starting your own line?
I don’t know that I am drawn to fashion. Well — who am I kidding here — I have always followed fashion but at the same time kept a distance. I couldn’t see myself giving myself over to it completely because I think with good fashion, as with any art, there should be some conflict. And honestly, I’m kind of a sensitive person. It was very hard for me to visualize myself in that world. I had always thought about making clothes but It wasn’t until I became more interested in environmental concerns, trade, land stewardship, etc., that it began to seem plausible to me and became much more personal. So I just started doing it. I hadn’t planned to do a whole line, but as I went along, the constraints I had given myself — constraints in terms of the materials I was using and the values I wanted to imbue into the clothing – gave me insights into the design process and helped it along.

3) What advice would you give a fashion newbie or student, looking to become a designer?
I feel like a newbie myself! That said, I guess my advice would be, don’t wait for anyone to give you permission to do what you love. The caveat is that in order to succeed you have to do a lot of thinking, and use restraint and pragmatism. So I suppose you have to restrain yourself in all sorts of ways but don’t let anyone else! The good restraint is discipline, the bad restraint is doubt. Also, I feel quite humble in this pursuit and it feels genuine for me. I try to keep it as simple as I can for myself – and make it about what I am trying to provide to my customers in terms of their needs, their lives.

4) What is the most difficult aspect in launching your own label, i.e. design, production, sales, finance, advertising?
Wow, I feel all of these challenges kind of shifting around and vying for first place all the time. And being new to this, I fear not being able to anticipate which aspect needs my focus at any given time. Sometimes you can be thinking so hard about one thing that another thing sneaks up on you and bites you on the bottom, so to speak. I think I would say that it’s creating some balance between all of these elements — and then making sure you give yourself what you need in order to be inspired and pick up the pencil. Also, I think being a little hungry helps — not having a huge budget or even connections can lead you down paths you might never have taken. And these things force you to prioritize, to know yourself more deeply in terms of what you can handle yourself and what you need help with.

5) Your label has a very strong ecological conscience, how did that develop?
As I learned more about the industrialization of crops and how much is controlled by a few pretty ruthless companies, I started trying to reverse-engineer a whole host of problems in order to come up with solutions. This project is meant to educate and re-educate an already pretty educated customer about what organic and sustainable signifies and where it is applicable in modern life. I am also trying to re-define luxury away from what was so heavily sold to us in the past decade. I like fancy a lot, and I don’t find fanciness and sustainability mutually exclusive. I like knowing where my clothes come from in the same way I like knowing where my food comes from. I try to avoid the textile version of mystery meat. These can be very personal choices, but it’s important to keep the big picture in mind: there is a huge flow of capital in the garment industry that can be re-directed in amazing ways – ways that can help put a dent in some real problems. One of my goals is to figure out how to be a channel for these shifts and redirections. However, the choice of materials is only one piece of the pie. I try to think about the way each piece of clothing is going to be used, re-used and cared for and what the ultimate impact will be. And so versatility is a big deal to me – the garment’s immediate use and then how its use might change over time. I try to think about clothing as a “perishable” good, one that we can use up (slowly) rather than throw away. For example, a work blouse might morph into something softer and more worn, maybe even more loved, later on. Having this perspective on what we wear can begin to shift us in other deep ways too. It’s like making chicken stock out of chicken bones. It brings quality and satisfaction to our experience of clothing, instead of confusion and denial.

6) You are particularly fond of using sustainable textiles; can you give us some more details on this?
So far, I have been working with hemps, organic cottons, small-production silks and some organic wools. I think I will probably stick to these basic fibers in the future because I gravitate toward the natural. But I also want to innovate. Even though I use “peace silks”, I am not using them from a vegan perspective as Lys is not a vegan line. I am using them for their uniqueness and beauty, and because they satisfy certain community and trade parameters that interest me. I use some “farmer-friendly” cottons from India that are not certified organic, but they are from little farms that use no pesticides and cannot afford to be certified. These farms use little or no machinery to grow their cotton, and the fibers are then woven in a nearby mill. The fabric is beautiful, and buying it supports families, communities, skilled labor, and local agricultural traditions. This fabric isn’t just “good enough”, it’s sometimes better than its certified counterpart! At the same time, I want to support people who are producing organic  fabrics on a larger scale. There is real value in working with companies who strive to provide a quality, certified textile that is consistently available. It’s the only way you can begin to work in volumes. So I am experimenting with a few different ideas. I guess I use a pretty wide lens when it comes to sustainable textiles.

7) What advice would you give other brands or designers who are interested in making a step towards going green, where should they start?
I think the first thing is to make it personal for yourself. Maybe it begins with recycling in your office — or finding a way to repurpose your fabric scraps (which I haven’t done yet), or finding one new textile source, and spending some time considering the issues and questions at hand. It’s a lot to take in, but the practical part doesn’t have to happen all at once. There’s no perfect way, you just have to want to do it and you’ll begin to find ways.

8) Besides being environmentally friendly you also promote domestic production and support our NYC Garment Center; why do you feel this is important and what’s your opinion on the current state of the Garment Center?
The Garment Center is still kind of mysterious to me, and I like it that way. If everybody were squeezed into one, big, sanitized building, it would lose some of that. And I want people to have their privacy and the ability to make their own choices – such as having a rice cooker under the desk. I love the Garment Center, and without it Lys would not exist. Yes, industries should have some regulation and oversight, but that’s not even what’s being proposed. It’s all about development. Somehow the NY garment center doesn’t strike me as the “elephant in the room” industry in NYC – I mean can’t they find some bankers to hassle in this town? I think Bloomberg has it wrong here. I think he’s well meaning in many ways but the bottom line is always going to speak more loudly to him than anything else, and that’s a shame because we’re talking about a community of highly skilled people, and lots of micro-communities and families within that. And l love these people. They work really hard doing things I will never be able to do. They’re the people I want to impress and they’re the people I want to keep my business going for. If we can maintain that community, then maybe we can start making some fabric in this country again!

9) What do you wish you had known before entering the fashion industry?
Oh, maybe that an economic meltdown was about to happen? Actually, I NEVER would have begun Lys if I had known that the landscape was about to shift so radically, so I guess I’m glad I didn’t know. And I do feel these clothes are in keeping with the times we live in, while still being fun and special. I knew little to nothing about the fashion industry when I began this and that’s kind of okay with me. It’s a big learning curve but these are changing times and I hope the fashion industry can adapt somewhat. Oh yeah, I wish I’d known you can’t dye conventional (poly/cotton) thread. You need 100% cotton and people look at you like you’re crazy when you ask for it.

10) What are you excited about for style and trend going forward for Lys New York?
I’m about to start working on some prints for Spring 2011. They’re unconventional and use a very low-water printing process and not a lot of dye. They’re all based on very simple things drawn with a Sharpie, which is not what you think of when you think of sustainability. But I like the idea of using a Sharpie to create all these sustainably printed designs. Make that Sharpie work!