Over $1M Distributed to 18 NYC Based Fashion Manufacturing Companies
Nearly $6.3M Awarded Across FMI Grants and Workforce Programs Over 10 Years Since Launch of Fashion Manufacturing Initiative
NEW YORK, NY—Today, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) announced the 2023 Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) Grant Fund recipients, continuing the support of the New York City fashion manufacturing sector.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the FMI, which was created in 2013 to support and preserve New York City fashion manufacturers. Since FMI’s origination, nearly $6.3 million has been invested across all of FMI’s grants and workforce support programming, which has impacted the work of 3,489 employees.
The FMI Grant Fund, the tentpole program under the CFDA and NYCEDC’s Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, offers partially matching grants to NYC-based contract manufacturing facilities committed to improving their services through innovation and technology. Since the inception of the FMI Grant Fund, the fund has invested over $5.6 million across New York City’s manufacturing network and impacted the work of 1,823 employees.
The 2023 round of grants marks the eighth round of the program, with over $1 million distributed to manufacturers for machinery and software technology, workforce training, capital improvements, and relocation costs.
“Fashion manufacturing plays a prominent role in the city’s economic development, and it is important to elevate New York City based businesses by providing them with top-tier resources,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Every year, it is inspiring to award this grant to the deserving recipients that value sustainability, equity and inclusion, and meaningful community impact. We wish this year’s recipients the best of luck and we look forward to seeing them continue to contribute to a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers.”
“The local manufacturing businesses supported through our Fashion Manufacturing Initiative are critical to the success of the greater American fashion community, not just in New York but also nationwide,” said CFDA CEO Steven Kolb. “FMI has advanced innovation and sustainability, prioritized diverse business owners and their workforce, and provided business relief through the ever-changing challenges these manufacturers face. We are proud of our ten years of support programming with the NYCEDC and industry partners including Ralph Lauren and Andrew Rosen, who supported us since FMI’s inception.”
This year’s 18 grant recipients include: Button Down Factory, Capital Cutting, Create-A-Marker, Dream Fashion, Emmelle Design, Glory Apparel, Heartland Manufacturing, Knit Resort, LW Pearl, Martin Greenfield Clothiers, Mei Zou Pattern Design, Park Avenue International, Polytime, Rainbow Leather, Refine Studio, Sunrise Studio, Sustain Brand Advisory, and TomTex, who is the program’s first-ever material innovation grant recipient.
Among the 2023 recipients, 66 percent are women-owned businesses; 55 percent are minority-owned businesses; and 55 percent are first-time recipients of funds through the FMI Grant Fund. Nearly 300 jobs are impacted across this year’s recipient’s businesses through the grants.
Services of the recipients include cutting and sewing, pattern and sample development, knitwear services, embellishment/embroidery, fabric dyeing, printing and washing, marking and grading, as well as material innovation development and production.
Criteria for the recipient selection included qualifiers surrounding sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as community and workforce impact and overarching business viability. All recipients successfully completed both financial audits as well as social compliance audits which covered areas such as health and safety, worker wages and welfare, and more.
The Fashion Manufacturing Initiative’s programs over the past decade have included the FMI Grant Fund, separate relocation grants, COVID-19 relief grants via the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund’s A Common Thread, workforce relief and training programs, and more. The FMI also includes a full open access Production Directory on CFDA.com, featuring 360 local U.S. manufacturing resources for designers looking for new development and production partners.
Supporters for FMI include Premier Underwriter Ralph Lauren, as well as other past partners such as Andrew Rosen and Theory, DHL, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Coach Foundation, Walmart, and more.
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
