Garment District holds on by a string

The Garment District, once a landmark for American fashion and style, is in jeopardy of vanishing due to increased rent prices and cheaper, foreign labor. Compounding the problem is that zoning laws meant to protect the region, which stretches from 34th to 40nd streets and Broadway to Ninth Avenue, have done little to stymie decline. The city’s manufacturing future, as well as its reputation as a fashion destination, are at stake, according to Barbara Blair Randall, executive director of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District. “If you don’t have production in the garment center, there would be no reason for designers and suppliers to cluster in the district,” Randall said. “We’re down to 9,000 jobs.”

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