Local Heroes

Annie Block, Mark McMenamin, and Meghan Edwards -- Interior Design, 4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

What's really left of New York's garment district in the year 2010? Which designer showrooms and factories are still there? In terms of urban planning, does the district function as efficiently as possible?

These concerns and more are being addressed by Made in Midtown, a study organized by the Design Trust for Public Space and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Five "project fellows"—architecture firm Interboro Partners, filmmaker Jordan Alport, graphic designer Glen Cummings, journalist Tom Vanderbilt, and urban planner Sarah Williams—have been selected to produce industry profiles, videos, and digital maps showing how the neighborhood works and how it can be improved. See the results in May at madeinmidtown.org.

From top: The New York showroom of Yeohlee Teng, general secretary of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which has partnered with the Design Trust for Public Space to study the city's garment district. A ruffle stitch at R&C Apparel nearby.