New York fashion industry tries to preserve artisan craftwork as factories move overseas

Pavni Mittal:

The Garment District in the heart of Manhattan was once the country’s sartorial capital, packed with hundreds of thousands of workers making most American clothes.

Over the years, costs rose, work declined and most studios emptied out, leaving a few thousand artisans and traces of the industry that gave the area its name, along with an art installation in this statue, remnants of a glorious past.

Just like this district in New York City, fashion hubs around the world are seeing a decline in craftwork. To address this, many high-end labels are investing in training the next generation of artisans, starting workshops, expanding apprentice programs and even partnering with fashion schools here in the United States.

In this workshop, traditional craftsmanship melds with modern technology. The nerve center of creativity and innovation for iconic jewelry brand Tiffany and Co. It’s also where it trains its next generation of makers. It’s running a two-year program teaching skills like welding metal using laser machines.

The first cohort graduates soon. Many hope to land a job at Tiffany’s. Programs like these are part of a larger recruitment strategy. Tiffany’s is owned by the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, LVMH. It is facing a record shortfall of thousands of craftspeople across dozens of brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior.

To meet its needs, it is expanding its flagship apprenticeship program, training and recruiting 2,400 artisans over the next two years. Historically, these were based in Europe. Now, LVMH is bringing them to the United States.