Anna Sui, Narciso Rodriguez Among Fashion Luminaries Behind Study to Save Garment District Updated June 3, 2010 10:13am

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By Nicole Breskin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

GARMENT DISTRICT — There are more fashion companies headquartered in New York than in Paris, Milan and London combined, but Manhattan's status as fashion capital of the world could be compromised if the Garment District isn't protected, a new report says.

Fashion luminaries, including Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Kors and Nanette Lepore, have campaigned to save the district from soaring rents and encroaching condos and hotels. The study, conducted by the Design Trust for Public Space and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, uses photos, 3D images, and interviews with fashion icons to document how the district has diminished in recent years.

“Our primary finding is that the Garment District is no longer a center of manufacturing,” Deborah Marton, executive director of the Design Trust said. “Its primary product is innovation now. The role has changed, but it’s still crucial.

“It’s a research and development hub, a silicon valley for clothes,” she said. "We need to make sure this area is here to stay."

The public can view the study's findings at a pop-up store that opened Thursday at 625 Eighth Ave.

“This garment was sewn on 39th Street and buttons were applied around the corner on 38th Street," designer Anna Sui told DNAinfo, pointing to one of her gray button-down frocks with floral stitching on display at a kick-off event Wednesday. “The Garment District is where I built my business.”

According to the study, about 95 percent of garments sold in the United States were made locally in the early 20th century. Now the number is closer to 5 percent. But the district still affords designers a one-stop shop to develop their lines — saving time and allowing immediate quality control.

“We won’t be able to have start-up fashion businesses without the Garment District,” said Robert Savage, Lepore’s husband and president of her company. “Young designers and the future of the city as a fashion capital are at stake here.”

A fashion industry panel discussion on study's findings will be held June 8 and 15, moderated by Tim Gunn of "Project Runway."

Both events will take place at the School of Visual Arts Theater, 333 West 23rd St. Tickets are available through the Municipal Art Society of New York.