Initiatives

Fashion Manufacturing Initiative

The Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) supports local fashion manufacturing and promotes inclusive economic growth throughout New York City’s fashion industry. Since it’s launch, we have scaled the program to become a $14 million partnership reinvesting in the supply chain of tomorrow that was built for New York City’s fashion industry.

A Partnership for Local Manufacturers

Part of the City’s Made in NY: Fashion initiative, FMI started as a $6 million public-private partnership fund by NYCEDC and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The program is created with multiple components: 

• Innovation Grants:  Production grants available to NYC-based fashion manufacturers to purchase equipment, make capital and technology upgrades, and relocation grants.
• Workforce Development: Provides talent pipeline and opportunities for fashion manufacturing workforce to hone their skills and increase opportunities with new equipment and technologies in the fashion manufacturing supply chain.
• Local Production Stabilization: Working with New York City design and brand talent to create and build relationships with local manufacturers, the program will bridge opportunities for brands to make their product locally.
• Programs & Collaborations: A series of programs and collaborations to support FMI grant winners and the New York City manufacturing community, hosted in partnership with industry leaders and experts.
• Production Database: A user-friendly, searchable online database that catalogs New York City fashion production companies to connect designers to local factories. Explore the database.

Education & Design

Current Programs Made in NY: Fashion Designer Designation

A group of qualifying businesses who use the Made in NY mark on their website and in promotional material to indicate support of the program and their commitment to local production. Made in NY Designers conduct 75 percent of their production in New York City, providing a product pipeline to approximately 1,500 fashion manufacturers throughout the five boroughs. They include ready-to-wear jewelry and accessories that are all proudly Made in New York.

BKLYN Fashion Academy

A program led by the Brooklyn Public Library and supported by NYCEDC where aspiring designers participate in a 12-week program to learn how to create a runway fashion collection. Each year, 15 aspiring women’s-wear designers will develop a miniature fall/winter collection of four pieces through a combination of courses and access to materials and equipment. BPL will connect participants to library resources and outside organizations that will help them market their brands, produce their collections, and sell their products.

Past Programs Fashion Future Graduate Showcase

Gathered 60 promising fashion design graduates from FIT, Parsons School of Design, the Pratt Institute, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Academy of Art University to showcase their talent for recruiters and fashion design companies. These graduates were joined by 25 additional graduates to display their designs on the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s website. With over 600 attendees, the showcase was curated and coordinated by CFDA and was held May 23 to 25, 2017 in New York City.

Fashion Forward/Ladders for Leaders

Expanded the Ladders for Leaders program to include fashion industry internships. NYCEDC provided funding and facilitated industry connections to employer partners. The program offered NYC high school and college students with training through employer-sponsored and City-subsidized internships.

CFDA Fashion Incubator

In partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Newmark Holdings, NYCEDC launched the CFDA Fashion Incubator to support the next generation of great designers in New York City. NYCEDC initially provided the CFDA with a three-year, $200,000 grant to help establish the Incubator. The incubator provided a creative professional environment to foster promising fashion talent, and to help selected designers grow and sustain their business.

Designers & Agents: Made in NY Collective

The Designers & Agents: Made in NY Collective directly supported the participation of local designers at trade events during New York Market Week. For the first time, a select group of fashion designers was offered fully subsidized Made in NY exhibition spaces at the Designers & Agents trade show. This gave the participants the opportunity to gain exposure to leading retailers in a dedicated area focused on fashion items that are predominantly designed, finished, embellished, or produced in New York City. The Designers & Agents: Made in NY Collective also implemented a series of exclusive workshops and seminars in the weeks leading up to the industry trade show.

Made in NY Award

The Made in NY Award honors an individual who has made outstanding and lasting contributions to New York City’s fashion industry. We presented our inaugural award to Andrew Rosen, founder of Theory, during the Women’s Wear Daily’s Apparel & Retail CEO Summit with some of the industry’s most prominent executives from around the world in attendance.

Design Entrepreneurs NYC

Design Entrepreneurs NYC was created in 2011 through a partnership between FIT and NYCEDC. After five successful years, the NYCEDC made a planned departure from the program, which is now continuing as FIT Design Entrepreneurs. This free, intensive “mini-MBA” program equips select fashion designers with the skills they need to successfully run a fashion label, including marketing, operations, and financial management.

NYC Fashion Fellows

NYC Fashion Fellows was a year-long fellowship program designed for rising stars in fashion management. Each year, roughly 20 fellows received executive-level mentoring, networking and community-building opportunities, and continuing education and career advancement workshops with industry professionals and their peers.

Retail and Marketing

Past Programs

Good Stuff Pop-up Installation

Good Stuff was an activation highlighting a circular economy for product. It included weekly workshops on how to mend and fix items with a goal to divert product from landfill. The Good Stuff Pop-Up featured Made in New York Designers’ clothing and jewelry in Summer 2019 and was located in the South Street Seaport.

Made in NY Marketing Campaigns

• 2017: The spring 2017 campaign introduced four designers who are passionate about supporting the local economy. Through documentary-style video, photography, social media, web content, and more, the campaign aimed to inspire more New York City designers to join the Made in NY: Fashion community.
• 2016: Five Made in NY: Fashion–Certified designers shared how the city influences them, why they choose to design/manufacture in NYC, and what it means to be Made in NY.
• 2015: The first media campaign to launch and activate the “Made in NY” fashion brand to tourists and residents.

Barney’s NY x CFDA: Made in New York Collection

In cooperation with Barneys New York and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), we unveiled the Made in NY Collection in September 2015. The collection is a curated compilation of limited-edition pieces produced entirely in New York City. The pieces were designed by seven prominent New York City–based designers, including Thom Browne, Narcisco Rodriguez, and The Row. The collection was retailed in 18 Barneys New York stores nationwide. Ten percent of all retail proceeds were donated to the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative.

Not Just A Label | Made in NY at the Waldorf Astoria

Launched in collaboration with Not Just A Label, a global e-commerce platform for emerging designers, and hosted by the Waldorf Astoria New York, the Not Just A Label | Made in NY retail store featured a rotating collection of over 1,000 locally designed and produced apparel, jewelry, and accessory items. More than 100 local fashion designers participated in the pop-up, which attracted over 1,500 visitors through its 10-day duration in December 2015.

Makers Row Videos

NYCEDC partnered with Maker’s Row, the CFDA, and Google to develop a six-part webisode series. Each episode featured a NYC-based designer who told the unique story of their brand, creative process, and personal experiences in manufacturing in New York City, and their affiliation with CFDA and NYCEDC programs. Bode, Carlos Campos, Catbird, Gigi Burris, Haus Alkire, and WHIT were scheduled to be featured in the series.

NYCxDESIGN Holiday Marketing

Made in NY designers were promoted to the NYCxDESIGN community annually during the holiday season.

NYC Fashion Production Fund

The Fashion Production Fund provided below market rate factor financing for New York City–based brands that also manufactured the majority of their designs in New York City. Between 2014 and 2017, the fund awarded over 36 loans to 12 participants and helped launch the career of notable designers like Rosie Assoulin.

Sustainability

Current Programs #WEARENEXT NYC

A consumer-facing marketing campaign in partnership with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to advance textile re-use in NYC. The campaign was across all five boroughs and included social media, LinkNYC, and bus terminal ads that highlighted DSNY’s new public textile recycling map.