February 14, 2022
slow factory will become the first major tenant in made in new york Garment Hub at Sunset Park as part of the redevelopment
made in new york Garment Hub is expected to create more than 460 fashion jobs in New York City and provide an estimated economic output of $57 million.
NEW YORK – As New York celebrates New York Fashion Week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) that will create new jobs for New Yorkers, will expand Brooklyn’s footprint in the fashion industry and provide a boost to New York’s economy. As part of the remodeling of the made in new york campus at Bush Terminal in Sunset Park, slow factory will join as the first major tenant. the made in new york The apparel hub will serve as a space to create jobs and expand workforce training in apparel manufacturing, fashion design and other affiliated businesses. In addition, the garment hub will create 460 on-site fashion jobs and train 500 people, generating an estimated $57 million in direct economic output for New York City.
“New York City was already the fashion capital of the United States, but the redevelopment and creation of new fashion jobs in the made in new york campus in Brooklyn will only cement our place as the city of swagger,” he said. mayor eric adams. “slow factory The opening at the apparel hub at Sunset Park will help create hundreds of fashion jobs there and bring tens of millions of dollars of direct economic output to New York City. Also, in New York, we are leading the way and showing that putting sustainability first can go hand in hand with the fashion industry.”
“New York City is the fashion capital of the world. made in new york campus reflects the Adams administration’s commitment to making sure we keep it that way,” he said. Deputy Mayor for Economic and Labor Development Maria Torres- Springer. “Congratulations to slow factory for being the first anchor tenant. His work at the intersection of sustainable apparel production and practices supporting workforce development is a model for fashion manufacturing that reflects the values of our city.”
slow factory moving to the garment center will not only be its first physical location, it will be based on a thriving manufacturing sector in Sunset Park. Frontline climate justice leadership has long called for a focus on sustainability and green manufacturing in the district, which is home to the second-largest concentration of apparel manufacturers and employment in New York City. slow factory will establish a dedicated multidisciplinary institute, providing educational programming and job training, a product studio, and a research and development laboratory, all under one roof.
The institute will provide a physical home for slow factory “Open Edu” program, a free and accessible education series on climate justice, climate solutions, and climate positive design. Programming will be integrated with Slow factory labsa physical manufacturing facility for regenerative materials innovation that focuses on its plant-based leather, Slowhide.
Other waste-to-resource training programs will focus on design for disassembly allowing designers to work with thousands of pounds of discarded clothing, returned goods and textile waste delivered to the slow factory through its brand partners. slow factory also plans to open the slow factory institute, which aims to leverage its climate-positive education and training programs to spur sustainable economic development and pathways to skilled employment opportunities in historically underserved communities. The opening of an institute is the first milestone in the organization’s broader plan to develop a network of climate institutes around the world.
Hosting these offerings under one roof will allow slow factory to create a new and replicable model for a regenerative global supply chain based on sustainable community economic development.
Additionally, Sunset Park residents will have free access to all programs and events, including youth-oriented climate adaptation events and waste-led design workshops focused on skills training.
“Reducing the carbon footprint of fashion is not only trend-setting, it is necessary in the fight against climate change,” he said. Rachel Loeb, President and CEO of NYCEDC. “slow factory will build on Sunset Park’s strong foundation of apparel manufacturing and eco-innovation with cutting-edge solutions and meaningful workforce development that sets New York City on a path to strengthen, grow and change the manufacturing industry for the better”.
“This school presents a revolutionary opportunity to deliver a future-oriented, pragmatic curriculum in Sunset Park, Brooklyn,” he said. Céline Semaan, CEO of Slow Factory. “We are working diligently to fill a critical educational gap that focuses on climate justice and human rights, while creating a community center for education and training.”
“Sunset Park is an environmental justice community at its core and that is why it is so important to have slow factory focus on sustainable fashion and racial equity lead apparel manufacturing center,” said US Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. “The path to reducing climate change runs right through neighborhoods like Sunset Park, and the apparel center should be a model for communities across the country to create sustainable products, while empowering residents to be part of this change through meaningful workforce development and empowerment.”
“We welcome slow factory to District 38 and support its mission to use fashion as an instrument for social, cultural and environmental change,” said New York City Councilmember Alexa Aviles. “Our district has a long history in these fields, and we hope your arrival will support and help sustain these efforts for years to come. We look forward to working closely with slow factory and to all partners to create career paths that connect residents to jobs on our labor coast, for local residents, and especially for youth of color that extend into leadership roles. Welcome!”
“SBIDC is delighted to welcome slow factory to the industrial work shoreline in Sunset Park, said Jesse Solomon, CEO, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation. “As the first anchor tenant in the made in new york installations, slow factory will set an important precedent for bringing businesses with a focus on sustainability to the made in new york installations. This new apparel hub will create much-needed state-of-the-art space for local manufacturing businesses and will house hundreds of jobs in Sunset Park. SBIDC looks forward to working with slow factory and other incoming businesses, helping them hire locally and contribute to an equitable economic development strategy in Brooklyn.”
the made in new york The campus is being built by the Gilbane Development Company, which has a proven history of using New York City-certified Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) subcontractors and vendors. Currently, the M/WBE share for the campus is 60 percent. The apparel hub will include state-of-the-art manufacturing workspaces, ranging from 2,000 to 40,000 square feet for local Brooklyn-based businesses, as well as other manufacturing companies.
The center is expected to be complete before the end of this year.
Business owners can visit edc.nyc/MiNYGarmentHub to lease space and learn more.
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Source: www1.nyc.gov