Urban Made Project is dedicated to telling the stories of the people in the garment industry who are supporting the next generation of designers and leading the Made in USA movement. By creating a thriving manufacturing base, cities are encouraging small business growth, from the family-owned factories to the designers who depend on them to bring their ideas to life. But sustaining the urban manufacturing sector is a challenge. These stories aim to highlight that from the voices of the people who live it.
About
URBAN
Urban Made Project explores the role of manufacturing in the 21st century and its place in the urban landscape. Cities have been central to the growth and development of the garment industry. The agglomeration and proximity of factories, supply stores, and retailers create an efficient ecosystem that maximizes productivity, allowing designers to piece together their creations with little lag time.
But the urban landscape is changing as cities are being reconfigured. We show how the current policies and changing infrastructure are shaping the future of the industry at the most micro level.
MADE
Many garment-related businesses have gone overseas. Many, but not all. We focus on those businesses— made here, in the USA.
They aren’t just sewing factories or zipper suppliers, they are entrepreneurs and that is the core theme of each story, entrepreneurship— how they made it.
HOW IT BEGAN
The idea behind Urban Made Project comes from Nicole’s three years of working the fashion industry and passion for empowering communities through innovative solutions to promote long-term growth.
Nicole first became interested in the garment industry at The Skyscraper Museum where she assisted in the research and production for five exhibitions including Urban Fabric. This led her to become involved with Save the Garment Center, a grassroots organization that brings awareness to local factories and emerging designers, and DG Expo, a multicity fabric and trim show. She has also worked with Young & Able for their annual holiday pop-up shop and interned at The Architect’s Newspaper.
In 2014, Nicole completed her undergraduate thesis on the importance and growth of “Made in New York” with a focus on New York’s Garment District to show the relationships between designers and their production facilities. The research paper was featured on The Emerging Designer as a three-part feature story.
In the past, Nicole was a guest speaker at The New School and FIT to talk about the challenges and future of New York City’s garment manufacturing industry.
We are storytellers, community advocates, and connectors of people and ideas.