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NYC Fashion Incubator
By admins | January 5, 2010
Flickr image via Alicepopkorn
We have a few more tidbits of information on Mayor Bloomberg’s much anticipated Fashion Incubator initiative. We gave you the full scoop on this project here when it was announced back in October. The CFDA along with the New York City Economic Cooperation and our Mayor, have created this program to support emerging designers. We love the idea of creating a place that is literally an incubator of creativity. Plus, it’s set up in away that not only encourages the entrepreneurial spirit, but backs it up with concrete support systems.
More specifically, this program will financially aid up-and-coming designers who want to stay in the Garment Center and produce their good locally. Twelve lucky designers (and we made it clear in our previous post how we felt about that skimpy number) will get some much coveted studio space in the heart of the Garment Center. The Fashion Incubator will be our neighbor, located at 209 West 38th Street. So, what’s the unbelievably low rent at this location? Amazingly, only $1500 a month, which is a dream come true for any young designer. But it gets even better; the CFDA has just announced that they will also be providing mentoring to the Fashion Incubator designers. Having a top American designer as a mentor is a priceless advantage.
Of course, this kind of award is not available to just anyone with good fashion sense and a dream. This is a huge economic and political investment for the city and the CFDA. This is a business proposal and not a Project Runway type contest, so designers must have a solid work history. To qualify, the designers need to have sustained their businesses for a minimum of 1.5 years, achieved media coverage, and worked with successful retailers as well as have a record of employing employees. For the right candidate this is an excellent opportunity. Hopefully these twelve designers will prove successful enough, that the program will continue and expand so more candidates of various levels can participate.
Here is more related scoop;
Topics: competition, designers | 11 Comments » 
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January 5th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Wow, this is great! I know so many designers that deserve a shot at this!
Hope you’re doing well gorgeous! We have to get together soon!
January 5th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Fantastic program, but totally with you on the number people eligible. Bloomberg needs to make larger changes not only expanding this program but giving companies that produce in nyc tax breaks and support zoning protection in the garment center.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
such a good idea.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Twelve? Only twelve? Are they going to be renewing it in a year, to provide more opportunities for people in the future?
Either way, good for them for realizing how keeping manufacturing in NYC can help our local economy.
Great article, great blog. Love it. Congrats on your Links a la Mode inclusion! :-D
January 7th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Hopefully it will be a huge success and the city will expand it next year. And I think it’s great the guidelines are very specific about qualified designers.
January 8th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Oh, I love this!! The guidelines are exactly what they should be and that they can have a top American designer as a mentor is priceless for these lucky few.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:51 am
What a fantastic opportunity!
I hope they are successful and expand this next in the future.
January 8th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Fantastic news, any idea when its due to open?
January 11th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
All I can say is about FREEKIN’ time! As a designer who used to manufacture in NYC (and would like very much to do it again) I have been distressed at the sheer volume of resources that have been lost to designers in this city over just the last few years.
Since so little is made here anymore.
And while 12 companies is way too few and does smack of a PR stunt, it is a start.
I hope they are insanely successful, the program expanded and that we see the industry, manufacturing, and all it’s satellite business revitalized by this effort.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Sounds amazing. We have something like that called Toronto Fashion Incubator, a non-profit.
March 1st, 2011 at 6:38 am
We will be visiting fashion incubators in New York and we are interested in learning how many incubators are there? The only one I found is CFDA Fashion Incubator.
Thanks,
Thelma Tajirian