City of New York Kicks Off Fashion Week with New 'Made in NY' Campaign, Expanded Initiatives to Support City's Fashion Industry

September 10, 2015

New 'Made in NY' Fashion Programs Support Emerging Talent, Growing Companies, and Manufacturing Companies Within One of New York City's Key Industries

NEW YORK—The City of New York today marked the beginning of New York Fashion Week by announcing new and expanded Made in NY programming to support the city’s fashion industry. Building off of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement in February that the City has tripled its investment in the fashion industry to $15 million, these new Made in NY programs will directly support and shine a spotlight on manufacturing companies and emerging designers in New York City. 

“New York City is central to fashion – and the fashion industry is central to our city’s economic future,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “By tripling our investment in Made in NY fashion, we’re partnering with the industry to level the playing field and help ensure that all budding designers and manufacturers have the tools to succeed – no matter in which corner of NYC they live."

The initiatives are led by the inaugural Made in NY Fashion campaign, featuring the work of local designers displayed in advertisements on 600 taxi tops, 75 buses (including wrapped double decker buses), several billboards (including in Times Square), and other ferry and cruise vessels and terminals, in addition to print and digital publications.

The new programming and initiatives will support emerging talent in the fashion industry, and build upon existing programs to further reinforce the city’s manufacturing and design sectors and New York City’s status as the fashion capital of the world. Fashion companies may now apply for the official Made in NY certification at MadeInNYFashion.nyc, a digital hub dedicated to promoting local designers and manufacturers, showcasing New York City-made products, and providing the fashion industry with valuable resources and information.

“The fashion industry – and Fashion Week – are economic powerhouses here in New York City, employing over 184,000 New Yorkers, generating $1.4 billion in tax revenue, and providing opportunity to all New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen. “The funkiest, most diverse city in the world is uniquely positioned to be the fashion capital of the world,  and we're investing to make sure it doesn't just stay that way, but Made in NY fashion continues to grow.”

“The fashion industry has been a critical sector of the city's economy for generations, and the Made in NY campaign and initiatives will not just shine a spotlight on the local companies that make us a fashion epicenter, but also help support emerging companies as they grow and succeed," said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. "As New York Fashion Week begins today, we want the world to know that 'Made in NY' is more than just a slogan. It represents the environment where local designers and manufacturing companies can thrive, helping New York City remain the fashion capital of the world."
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President Maria Torres-Springer were joined this morning by Theory CEO Andrew Rosen and Eugenia Kim, one of the brands featured in the Made in NY Fashion campaign at Moynihan Station – one of the new sites of New York Fashion Week – for the announcement, which is hosted by WME-IMG. The suite of initiatives, building off of those announced by Mayor de Blasio in February, will be largely comprised of public-private partnerships, spearheaded and financed by NYCEDC, with additional funding from a diverse set of industry partners. The initiatives include:

Marketing Campaign: The inaugural Made in NY Fashion campaign features looks from a range of New York City-based designers. The first wave of the $5 million campaign showcases the work of nine designers across a number of media outlets, as well as on buses, taxis, banners, and billboards. By emphasizing the creativity and talent of the local fashion scene as well as New York’s overall edginess and attitude, the campaign creates awareness and develops brand recognition around the “Made in NY” fashion initiative and reinforces New York’s status as the fashion capital of the world.

Made in NY Certification: The Made in NY certification program endows qualifying businesses with exclusive use of the distinguished “Made in NY” mark. Use of this mark will allow fashion brands to tangibly illustrate their commitment to local production and coalesce as a local community.   

Barneys NY x CFDA: Made in New York Collection: In partnership with Barneys NY and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the Made in New York Collection retails a limited-edition collection of women and men’s apparel that has been exclusively designed by New York City-based brands and produced within the five boroughs. Participating designers are Altuzarra, Narciso Rodriguez, Proenza Schouler, rag & bone, R13, The Row and Thom Browne. Ten percent of retail proceeds will be donated to the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, an initiative with the CFDA supporting local fashion production. The Collection is featured in the Barneys NY flagship windows, and is available online and at all Barneys NY stores across the U.S.

Made in NY Awards: The City will honor an individual who has made outstanding and lasting contributions to New York City’s fashion industry. The Made in New York Award will be presented at the Women’s Wear Daily’s Apparel and Retail CEO Summit on October 27, 2015.

Made in NY Retail Activation: The Made in NY Retail Activation will offer a curated collection of locally produced fashion merchandise to a wide-reaching audience. The program aims to increase sales of New York City-produced goods, raise the profile of New York City-based designers, and create sales opportunities otherwise inaccessible to emerging brands.

Made in NY Trade Show Partnership: The Made in NY Trade Show Partnership will offer emerging, New York City-based designers the opportunity to grow their business and build their brand’s visibility by participating in industry trade shows at free or reduced rates.

Early-Stage Designer Financing: Once introduced, the Made in NY Fund would offer early-stage designers lines of credit to finance production of purchase orders at below-market rates.

These initiatives complement the City’s ongoing efforts to support manufacturers and designers and help New York City’s fashion industry grow. In January 2015, the NYCEDC and CFDA announced the second round of winners for the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, a $6 million public-private grant program designed to support local fashion manufacturing by awarding grants ranging from $25,000 to $300,000 for equipment and infrastructure. Through its first two cycles, FMI has granted over $1.1 million to 13 production facilities, helping retain and create new manufacturing jobs in New York City. This summer, NYCEDC and Capital Business Credit announced the latest series of loans awarded by the NYC Fashion Production Fund, an initiative that provides New York City-based emerging designers with purchase order financing at below-market rates. To date, the Fashion Production Fund has granted more than $1.5 million in production financing loans to 10 New York City-based emerging fashion designers.

The city’s fashion industry employs over 184,000 New Yorkers, accounting for 5.4 percent of the city’s workforce, pays $11.6 billion in wages, and generates $1.4 billion in tax revenue annually. New York City’s wholesale fashion market is one of the world’s largest, attracting more than 578,000 visitors per year to its trade shows, showrooms and fashion shows. Overall, the industry garners more than $18 billion in retail sales, $72 billion in wholesale sales, and $8 billion in manufacturing sales annually. The City’s semi-annual Fashion Weeks draw approximately 232,000 attendees to more than 500 shows, creating a total economic impact of $887 million.  

“The first time I came to New York in the nineties from Belgium I immediately felt a strong connection and knew I wanted to do something here one day,” said Tim Coppens, whose apparel is featured in the Made in NY Fashion Campaign. “I still feel that way so it was only natural that NY was the right base for my brand.”

“Chromat is designed, produced and sold in New York City: a city filled with unlimited possibilities and collaborators focused on innovation,” said Becca McCharen, CEO of Chromat, whose apparel is featured in the Made in NY Fashion Campaign. “We’re so excited to support the Made in NY program, which is empowering the next generation of fashion designers, manufacturers and innovators.”

“New York was always the career goal for both of us, and the city’s thriving energy has become the foundation of our brand, Ohne Titel, and what we strive for as designers,” said Ohne Titel co-Founders Alexa Adams and Flora Gill, whose apparel is featured in the Made in NY Fashion Campaign. “It’s a great honor to participate in this campaign to promote New York's dynamic fashion community.”

Launched in 2005, the Made in NY initiative was originally created by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) to highlight the importance of New York City’s media & entertainment industry to the local economy through public service campaigns, marketing efforts and educational and workforce development programs. Designed by Radical Media, the Made in NY logo is a trademark owned by the City of New York and is a Mark of Distinction awarded to films and television produced in New York City. In 2013, the City expanded the Made in NY initiative to the technology sector to underscore the City’s commitment to strengthening the New York City as a global hub for innovation. Digital companies who qualify for the Mark of Distinction are also added to the “We Are Made in NY” map and list of start-ups, which is currently hosted by Digital.nyc.

For more information, visit MadeInNYFashion.nyc.