Location, Location, Location: Utilizing NYC's Garment District

Consumers and industry professionals alike commonly label New York City as “the fashion capital of the world”. The different-and many a times- exotic clothing worn on the city streets, the multitude of fashion magazines and brand corporate offices, along with the creativity that is infused in the city are all different factors that attribute to this assertion. However, several articles and blogs have alluded to something even greater-yet smaller- that is specific to the city and acts as the catalyst for all of these other factors: the Garment District, a (now small) neighborhood of the Big Apple that features a high concentration of fashion-related businesses.

Being in such close proximity to the Garment District, emerging New York City-based brands are advantaged as they can utilize their relationship and inevitable association with this unique area. Brands can gather inspiration through this relationship for different components of their brand such as their culture, mythology, and values. The following are three specific recommendations on how a new designer can use this area to break into the industry as a prestigious, “Ueber” brand:

1. Keep an open layout

Various articles, such as Harvard Business Review’s “New York’s Fashion Industry Reveals a New Truth About Economic Clusters”, assert the idea that what is special about the Garment District isn’t exactly its quality and craftsmanship (while unarguably present) but the idea that this craftsmanship is taking place in such close quarters. An idea that is especially true today with this area of Manhattan only spanning a few city blocks. While the study done by HBR did not conclude that brands located inside the district to be dramatically more productive in respect to time than brands located outside of it, studies have proven that when there is a high concentration of people in a space that are interested in similar fields, creativity and productivity can be enhanced. This leads to the recommendation that an emerging fashion brand take a valuable lesson from the Garment District and have their company culture be open and fluid- featuring an open office and collaborative environment among different departments.

2. Make “made in NY” your world

Several books on branding have pinpointed the key to having a prestigious aura is having a great story. This is prevalent in a case study done on Brunello Cucinelli in the unofficial guide for “Ueber” brands, Rethinking Prestige Branding. Throughout the case study, the book highlights the idea of the Cucinelli brand originating on top of a hill in the Italian city of Solomeo as the driving factor of its aura and prestige. While a new, emerging fashion brand may not have as rich a history as a brand that is close to forty-years old, it can create one instead. Making NYC- and the Garment District- the identity of the brand can help to achieve this.

In addition to associating the brand with a famed fashion institution, this strategic alignment will also aid in the efforts of brands such as Altuzarra, Narciso Rodriguez, and Proenza Schouler to save the dwindling district. In the fall of 2015, these brands along several others, partnered with Barneys and The Council of Fashion Designers of America to create a 20-item limited-edition line for the department store showcasing the premium craftsmanship the Big Apple can offer.

3. “Radiate from the core”

This next recommendation comes straight out of Rethinking Prestige Branding. Today there are hundreds and hundreds of fashion brands based in New York, so it can be a bit difficult for an emerging brand to break through the noise. New brands must find a way to differentiate themselves from already existing, well-established brands- which is exactly where “radiating from your core” comes in. With all of these brands being centered in New York, not all manufacture their products here exclusively. Acclaimed New York-based brand Rag & Bone even has production all over the world. Therefore, to stand out from the crowd and truly resonate with “Ueber”-centric customers, an emerging New York fashion brand should limit most- if not all- of its production to the Garment District in order to build the brand’s “myth” amongst employees- as well as customers by way of extension.

Sources:

http://www.refinery29.com/2015/04/86077/nyc-garment-district-factory-revival

http://nypost.com/2015/08/25/this-is-how-barneys-wants-to-save-the-garment-district/

https://www.rag-bone.com/about.html