A larger-than-life statue of a garment worker bent over a sewing machine stands near the corner of Seventh Avenue and Thirty-ninth Street. It recalls a time when New York’s garment district was a hub of worldwide clothing production. Today, while the sewing machines are still humming, there are far fewer apparel jobs in the garment district than there once were.
Karen and Teddy Sadaka, the co-owners of Apparel Production Inc., have watched the neighborhood change dramatically over the past four decades, as large-scale production has moved overseas and local companies have shut down. Those years have made the siblings skeptical about any corporate promises of returning mass garment production to the United States. Still, they remain passionate about making clothing in New York.
Those passions are shared by Andrew Rosen, the C.E.O. of Theory, who has a plan to bring luxury-apparel production back to the city. In a story in this week’s magazine, Rebecca Mead describes Rosen’s initiative as a “modest scheme” that aims to invest in New York’s garment factories, with the hope of turning them into innovators in apparel production. While Rosen’s efforts are just beginning, it’s clear that the Sadakas—and all of New York’s garment district—will be watching him closely.
