American Fashion Council Stirs Controversy by Moving Out of Garment District

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has stirred a controversy after deciding to move out of their current office from New York's Garment District which is regarded as the heart of the fashion industry in the city.

Until now, the CFDA has reportedly attempted to promote the location with the help of initiatives like Made In Midtown study. The council has now signed a new lease for a new office space at 65 Bleecker Street in Nolita and is expected to relocate from their current office this summer.

However, this decision has evoked a new controversy and many designers have openly voiced their disapproval for the council's relocation plans.

We are extremely disappointed by the CFDA's decision to leave the Garment Centre. We only hope this does not signal the end of their previous support for New York City manufacturing and emerging American designers, designer Nanette Lepore told Vogue UK.

Located in the Manhattan borough of New York City, the Garment District has been known since the early 20th century as the centre for fashion manufacturing and fashion design in the United States.

The Garment District is home to a number of well-known designers, their production facilities, warehouses, showrooms, and suppliers of fabric and materials.

Many in the industry allege that this dense concentration of talent, entrepreneurship and supply stores functions like an ecosystem in which each of the parts help sustain the whole. Major fashion labels such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Liz Claiborne and Nicole Miller have showrooms, production facilities, or support offices located in the Garment District.

Till date, the CFDA has been dedicated to the preservation of the area with its many programs. Hence, not surprisingly, the move has met with speculations and disapproval from the fashion fraternity.