• Home
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Founder of luxury embroidery studio says PPE manufacture will continue at new Brooklyn Army Terminal facility

Founder of luxury embroidery studio says PPE manufacture will continue at new Brooklyn Army Terminal facility

By Jackie Mallon

loading...

Scroll down to read more

Fashion |Interview

New York Embroidery Studio

New York Embroidery Studio has been the go-to for NYC’s embellishment needs since 2001 when Michelle Feinberg founded the company. Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne, and Oscar de la Renta rely on her expertise while celebrities such as Cardi B, Meghan Markle and Frank Ocean have worn her craftsmanship on the red carpet. But since the pandemic started New York Embroidery Studio has also built a reputation as a go-to for aiding New York’s frontline workers when Feinberg pivoted her business to make sustainable PPE (personal protective equipment) thereby keeping hundreds of New Yorkers in employment and even creating the first biodegradable isolation gown.

In recognition of the efforts of this queer-owned female-led business, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York Embroidery Studio will be the latest tenant of Brooklyn Army Terminal signing the biggest lease in three years and occupying one of its largest spaces at nearly 80,000 square feet. According to the press release from the mayor’s office, the state-of-the-art facility “will create more than 500 on-site jobs, yielding an estimated 73 million dollars in economic output for New York City.”

New York Embroidery Studio

New York Embroidery Studio will continue expanding the new arm of its business to help replenish the depleted national stockpile of PPE for US health care workers, and has already prototyped and made more than 590,000 hospital gowns in just nine weeks. The business will utilize the latest automated cutting and advanced manufacturing techniques to produce biodegradable and sustainable PPE full-time, and has committed to working with Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises as contractors and subcontractors to build out the space.

The announcement forms part of the mayor's plan,"Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for NYC's Economic Recovery," released last month containing 70 initiatives designed to to reinvigorate the city’s economy and increase equity and inclusivity. The blueprint specifically aims to accelerate the return to pre-pandemic employment levels, while simultaneously addressing historic injustices and reimagining outdated ways of doing business.

FashionUnited spoke with New York Embroidery Studio founder, Michelle Feinberg, about the post-pandemic state of the city's fashion industry and her dual motivation to adorn head turning luxury gowns destined to be worn by VIPs at the most elite galas while also clothing essential workers to keep them safe as they go about their daily duties.

New York Embroidery Studio

How and why did you decide to launch an embroidery studio in the garment district?

I chose the garment district for the embroidery studio because I was pregnant and wanted to be near my customer base. Previously, I worked for and managed a manufacturing company that moved to the Bronx after 9/11.

Your business has survived the aftermath of 9/11, and the 2008 recession so what's the secret to your longevity especially when so many NYC brands went overseas for their embroidery needs?

It seems the only thing that has remained constant is change. I have straddled volume production with product development and tried to keep a balance of both to keep our artisans working.

What were the challenges of pivoting your business from providing embroidery for designer houses to PPE gowns for hospitals?

We went from specialty manufacturing to volume manufacturing, not to pivot from our core but in an effort to keep our talented artisans working. Becoming the first essential business in New York enabled us to force our building to reopen and bring employees back to work.

What has the experience taught you about the fashion industry?

This experience has taught me that we are a tough, resilient bunch who think outside of the box. We work quickly and creatively together.

Why do you think the city of NYC, particularly its mayor, has gotten behind you so wholeheartedly regarding your business expansion?

We were supporting NYC healthcare and frontline workers by creating a solution to the PPE shortage. When I watched the news at the beginning of the pandemic and saw our healthcare workers wearing trash bags as protective equipment as well as having a close friend in the hospital struggling with COVID, I knew something had to change and that's when I heard the call for manufacturing. We were happy to pivot to making PPE and find creative ways to solve a supply chain crisis. We are dedicated to a domestic solution to the shortage and employing talented New Yorkers.

How would you describe the New York fashion industry right now? 

The New York fashion industry is alive and on the rebound! It has been so exciting to see experienced, talented professionals that had to downsize because of COVID start new brands. I'm so excited for the future of NYC manufacturing.

Feinberg's comments to FashionUnited echo her statement included in the mayor's press release, “New York Embroidery Studio has been manufacturing in the garment center for over 30 years. I am totally committed to growing the apparel industrial base here in NYC. Additionally, we want to bring high fashion’s drive for innovation and quality to PPE manufacturing, by developing novel and sustainable products for our clients.”

embroidery
New York Embroidery Studio
Pandemic
Sustainability
women in business