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Source: http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/living/fashion/fashiondist/

Instructors: Alec Appelbaum

Jaime Stein Evren Uzer

 

December 2012

Susanne Antonucci

A RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR THE NEW YORK CITY GARMENT DISTRICT

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Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 3

Background .................................................................................................................................... 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 4 SWOT Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 6

2. WHERE THE GARMENT INDUSTRY IS TODAY ............................................................... 7

3. WHY: ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION OF TEXTILE WASTE ................................... 9 Historical View: Can we learn from the past? .......................................................................... 10

4. CASE STUDIES .......................................................................................................................... 11 Another Garment District: Fashion Center LA ....................................................................... 11 Designers from NYC Garment District .................................................................................... 12

5. RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE WASTE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Garment Manufacturing Process ............................................................................................... 14 Design and Labeling ................................................................................................................... 15 Fabric Selection ............................................................................................................................ 17 Cutting/Assembly Waste Elimination ........................................................................................ 17 Reuse Alternatives ...................................................................................................................... 19

6. CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................... 20 Next Steps .................................................................................................................................... 21

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1 Introduction

Background Why and How a Recycling Program can be implemented for New York City’s Garment District. On a visit to a designer’s studio in the Garment District, I noticed that their textile waste was being thrown into mixed garbage. The Garment District was once the center of America’s clothing manufacturing, and today, it is the largest manufacturing area left in New York City. I inquired into how much waste they produced and where it was going after it was thrown in the garbage bins. The answer was a couple of full bins a week, and into the mixed garbage. They believed there was no recycling in their building. At that point, I said, “There should be an alternative.” We talked about a coalition that could possibly collect the scraps from all the designers’ studios in the district. I began my investigation into whether or not textiles were becoming part of mixed garbage in the Garment Center’s manufacturing facilities and other designers’ studios.

Caption: PATCH OF GARMENT DISTRICT Source:Citi-habits.com The Garment District of New York City is a small patch which stretches between 35th and 42nd Streets and Seventh and Ninth Avenues. It is anchored by the Jacob Javit’s center at the extreme west, the General Post Office, Penn Station, and Madison Square Garden in the Center, and the Empire State Building in the east, with a dense concentration of industry1. The density is because the buildings are very close together, unlike the newer buildings in Midtown Manhattan. It is situated between Times Square and 34th Street, which are two of the most popular tourist attractions. Its culture and history grew because of the hundreds of thousands of workers, who were employed in one of the trades within the district2. They were skilled pattern makers, cutters, and sewers. Unfortunately, over the last 50 years, New York’s garment manufacturing sector has experienced a steady decline within the City overall and within the Garment District specifically3. Skilled craftsman saw their jobs decline because it became more economical to manufacture overseas due to lower labor costs. Today, thousands of people are still designing and manufacturing apparel within a 10-block radius in the Garment District4. This 100 year old neighborhood provides support for established and emerging designers all over America through its trim-and-fabric supplies, pattern-makers, sewers, pressers, and finishers5. These highly specialized workers manufacture everything from structured linen jackets to airy elaborate chiffon skirts and “each one is hand-marked, hand-stamped, hand-trimmed so they’re perfect,” stated Joe Ferrara, Director of the Garment Center Supplier Association, and factory owner6. The New York City Garment District has become an incubator for young entrepreneurial designers who are producing their own lines of clothing. These young designers use the skills of the manufacturers and pattern makers available in the district as an educational tool for growing their businesses. They are able to interact with their production houses, to correct and adjust their designs.

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This is an advantage, which is not possible if you are manufacturing overseas. The Garment District acts as an ecosystem in that designers are able to source their production, prepare patterns, purchase accessories, and even sell back extra yardage within a small radius. The fact that they can visit their production houses and make any changes necessary to their garment is important to designers and their process. These factors also add to the sustainability of their processes because it limits the amount of transport in their manufacturing, thereby, reducing the amount of carbon emissions that are produced. Their complete operation can happen within the 10 blocks of the Garment District. These designers are both socially and environmentally aware. They seek efficiency in their processes which adds to the importance the New York Garment District has to their production. One of these efficiencies is reducing waste in their processes. They understand the environmental benefits of reducing waste and are looking for solutions to reduce, recycle and reuse their textile waste. In order to understand the processes and if intervention was possible, I interviewed and spoke with a group of designers. Each of these designers was aware of the amount and kind of waste they produced, and its effects on the environment. They either manufactured in the Garment District or had studios in New York or Brooklyn. They seek sustainable practices in their goals to reduce waste, find reuse methods for their scraps/remnants and, where possible, use organic fabrics or those with little negative effect on the environment. They not only have a desire to reduce waste, but also understand the importance of manufacturing locally. These are designers who are producing small lines of clothing. Their lines of clothing are sold in Boutique shops in and around the city. The garment district gives them an opportunity to grow their business because all the learning tools are found through the skilled workers in the District. A Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District could only increase their sustainability. After these interviews, I understood that finding an end use and recycling system for the textile waste produced in their studios, as well as their manufacturing process, was a goal they wished to achieve. These entrepreneurial designers have a stake in both the future of the Garment District, and a stake in reducing textile waste. The Garment District is necessary for the growth of their businesses, and reducing waste is important to their sustainability, which is part of their inherent production process. They are able to design and manufacture in a sustainable way, reducing any carbon footprint in transport. They are sustainable because they want to protect our environment for future generations. Textiles have an adverse impact on our landfills and our environment so I began a journey to help find a solution for recycling textiles in the New York City Garment District.

Methodology I now understood that reducing textile waste was an objective for designers, and more importantly, it would help achieve PlaNYC 2030 Solid Waste Goal to divert 75% of the city’s waste. Released in 2007, this plan is an unprecedented effort undertaken by Mayor Bloomberg to help prepare the city for one million more residents, strengthen our economy, combat climate change and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers7. The Solid Waste Plan calls for the city to aggressively increase recycling in New York City businesses. New York City’s law for commercial businesses states that if you produce more than 10% waste in your production process, it must be recycled8. There is little to no enforcement of this law. Reducing textile waste would not only enhance the existence of an ecosystem in New York City’s Garment District, it will improve its image. It is an ecosystem because designers are able to design their garments and produce a finished product in a ten block radius. All the processes can be sourced within the district, pattern making, marking, cutting, assembly and even fabric selection are all available within the District. These factors will draw more entrepreneurial designers to manufacture in New York, because they are environmentally and socially conscious. It could increase the city’s economy with the establishment of small businesses by attracting new young designers to the District. Therefore, reduction of textile waste can have an environmental, economic and social value in the Garment District—establishing more businesses, reducing waste and enhancing its image.  

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My interviews led me to a core group of designers, each recommended by the other. This was the coalition I wanted to form, and I begin to look at how to recycle textile waste. My background in printing led me to examine how recycling paper became part of the printers’ process. If recycling paper could become a process for printers, textile recycling could become a process for garment manufacturers. I soon realized there was one major difference—there is a value for paper, but there is no longer a value for textile scraps, particularly remnants9. Printers can sell their paper waste by recycling with outside vendors; garment manufacturers have to pay to have their textile waste picked-up. A Recycling Program with grouped or organized pick-ups of textile waste could began to resolve this problem. I visited a textile recycler in Brooklyn and asked if he would be interested in picking up textiles from some of the designers’ studios in Brooklyn. If a significant amount of scraps could be collected, it could be worthwhile. This recycler sold his textiles to three manufacturers in the United States, and the fibers were recycled down for the manufacturers of car mats and bed fillings. He also claimed to pick-up all the textile scraps from manufacturers in Garment District. The designers I interviewed believed some of their manufacturers were recycling but not all of them. At this point, I was introduced to the Department of Sanitation, Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling (BWPRR) and this was the beginning of what can become a Recycling Program for the NYC Garment District. The Department of Sanitation is responsible for all residential waste. Commercial waste is picked up by private carters. Commercial trash and recycling must be removed by a licensed carter (for all types of waste) for registered carting company (for construction and demolition debris only)10. The Department of Sanitation has an overall goal to reduce waste in the city, whether it be commercial or residential. The DSNY BWPRR focuses on encouraging New Yorkers to reduce waste, reuse goods whenever possible, and recycle11. In an effort to achieve PlaNYC 2030 Solid Waste Goal, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) BWPRR has started a re-fashioNYC12 campaign. The DSNY has partnered with Housing Works to put bins in apartment buildings in New York City, so residents can easily recycle their clothing. Residents are given a tax deduction of up to $250 for recycling their clothing. During the first year of development, June 2011, 247,928 pounds of textiles (124 tons) were collected. The donations increased by an average of 4,167 lbs (2 tons) per month13.

To help achieve the NYC 2030 Solid Waste Goal, the DSNY BWPRR would like to introduce the re-fashionNYC bins to manufacturers. The DSNY BWPRR asked me to talk with them about my goals and my work with designers. The fact is I believed the designers could influence the manufacturers. Some of the designers I worked with had already spoken about asking their manufacturers to give them back their scraps/remnants. To introduce this program to the New York City Garment District, I arranged a meeting with two designers, Anthony LiLore14 and Tara St. James15, and Jessica Schreiber, the Program Manager for re-fashion NYC, Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse & Recycling. To begin, the DSNY would like to put these bins in designers’ studios. This re-fashioNYC program can be the beginning of a Recycling Program for the Garment District. Consumers, corporations, and industries were educated on paper waste through campaigns,

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public awareness and recycling campaigns. By following these models, we can begin to convince both the designers’ and manufacturers in the Garment District of the need to recycle textiles. A Recycling Program can increase awareness of the need for greater recycling in the Garment District. The re-fashioNYC bins could begin to provide a solution to their textile waste. New York City trucks its waste to Ohio and Pennsylvania, and this costs the city and its tax-payers money. In 2005, New York City’s Waste Characterization study showed that 200,000 tons of textile waste is discarded. Although I don’t have specifics on waste from the manufacturing sector of the Garment Industry, the designers have told me that the average manufactured garment will have 10-20% waste, and in some instances 25% waste. If it takes 3 or 5 yards of material to manufacture a dress, we would be wasting one yard per dress, 200 dresses, 200 yards of waste. I have interviewed a few manufacturers who say there is no value in recycling. The manufacturers claimed that because fabrics contain mixed fibers, there is no reuse value. In addition, the cost for a manufacturer to have their minimal waste picked-up coupled with the carbon produced by the pick-up, negates its environmental impact. Textile scraps are thrown in the trash. The Garment District is 10 city blocks and most of the manufacturing is in 9 buildings in two zones of the District. This clustering in a small radius of New York City is an opportunity to introduce the re-fashioNYC bins for textile scraps. Pick-ups can be made weekly or bi-weekly depending on the season’s production levels. This will reduce the carbon dioxide effects and reduce waste. Reduction of textile waste through recycling and reuse, reduces environmental impacts, reduces the impacts on our landfills, and reduces costs for both the city and garment industry. SWOT Analysis I examined the strengths, weaknesses, threats as well as opportunities for a Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District (Table 1). I will examine these factors throughout the paper, emphasizing a reduction in waste is the overall strength of a Program. This Program can help to reduce any of the weaknesses or threats. The Program offers an opportunity for economic growth, through an increase in production by attracting new designers to the District; improvement in environment impacts caused by textile waste and overall improvement of the image of the Garment District.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES • Reduce waste for New York City • % of Sustainable Designers • Re-fashioNYC bins • Cluster of Manufacturing in NYC Garment • District • Support of Designers

• Data for textile manufacturers’ waste outputs. • Lack of Commitment to change • Lack of innovation for textile reuse • Small percentage of textile recyclers

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS • Economic growth potential • Increase new Designers’ sustainability • Eliminate waste from studios, sample rooms

and cutting rooms • Textile reuse and labeling • Environmental Awareness

• Available support for growth in the Garment District

• Designer’s ability to influence their manufacturer

• Importance of sustainability to manufacturers in the Garment District

• Overseas manufacturing

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2 Where the Garment Industry is Today Apparel manufacturing is the largest manufacturing sector in New York City, and the fashion industry contributes $10 billion to the local economy16. In a 2010 New York City Economic Development Corporation survey 80% of emerging designers and 70% of established said the Garment District is “very” or “extremely” important to their growth. “To relocate the garment district won’t work,” said Jerome Chou, Design Trust for Public Space. “When you destroy the community and organism, it takes generations to rebuild, and it may not come back at all17.” The New York City Garment District has become a business incubator for small designers, who learn the business through the manufacturers in the district who are able to accommodate small runs, extend credit, and provide technical expertise18. The Fashion Center BID established in 1993 provides supplemental services including maintenance to the Garment District. They have also implemented streetscape improvements and improved the cleanliness of the District. To this end, a recycling or re-fashioNYC campaign could add to their efforts for physical improvement. By implementing the re-fashioNYC campaign within the District, the Department of Sanitation can begin to measure the District’s reduction in waste. In November, 2010, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel and New York City Economic Development President Seth W. Pinsky announced six initiatives to help the future of the garment industry. One of the initiatives, the NYC Fashion Fund supports emerging designers in New York City by assisting them to receive capital for production financing and also provides them with a list of manufacturers interested in serving emerging designers and other services to help them through the production process19. This Fund will be established with an initial investment by the city. Since a list of manufacturers will be given to the designers, this could provide an opportunity to review the recycling processes of the manufacturers listed. Along with the above initiative is Project Pop-up to maintain New York City’s position as retail leader and raise its status as a location where retailers want to start and grow business. It is an annual competition to promote new and innovative retail concepts20. These initiatives were put in place two years ago, the city can add to them by introducing a Recycling Program to the New York City Garment District. This Program would add to the sustainability of the Garment District, by reducing waste, attracting new young designers to manufacture in New York adding to its economic growth. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation as of October 2011 the fashion industry employs approximately 165,000 people, accounting for 5.5% of NYC’S workforce21. There are 900 fashion companies headquartered in New York City, which generate $9 billion in total wages with tax revenues of $1.7 billion22. There are more than 800 fashion houses based in New York City making it home to double the number of designers in Paris, the second-biggest fashion headquarters in the world23. There are 1,447 fashion tenants including manufacturers, designers with in-house manufacturing, showrooms, warehouses, retailers and other fashion related industries in the New York City Garment District24. According to the Council Fashion District Association/Fashion Center BID land use survey, 589,820 square feet, or 44.5% of the total 1,324,176 square feet occupied for fashion-related manufacturing are concentrated in 9 buildings within the New York City Garment District. Manufacturing is clustered in two zones within the district. The Municipal Arts Society, Fashioning the Future states, “As it (New York) has done for many industries, we must explore mechanisms to protect and promote an industry that contributes so much to the economic and creative vitality of NYC and the US25.” The history of the Garment District plays an important role in New York City similar to the Wall Street and the theater district areas. It may appear gritty, but there is a cluster of businesses in a small radius which produces and manufacturers a

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significant amount of garments for not only New York but the fashion world. People have tried to rename it or rebrand, but fortunately, this has not yet happened. The most recent plan, “Making Midtown: A New Vision for a 21st Century Garment District in New York City”, is to retain the 270 factories currently operating in the Garment District. Introducing a Recycling Program, will contribute to Garment District’s vision and its sustainability—”…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs26. (World Commission on the Environment and Development). It will help the designers achieve their goal to reduce waste and help New York City achieve its 2030 Solid Waste Goal. The New York City Garment District is not only one of our oldest neighborhoods, it is one of the few manufacturing centers left in New York City. The printers who occupied Varick Street were pushed out and high-rise apartment buildings and hotels took the place of this manufacturing sector. The talent and the resources that exist in the Garment District cannot be replaced. The new proposal from the Fashion Center BID calls for growth in the Garment District, and I believe growth will occur with the next 5-10 years. As the industry grows, processes can improve efficiencies. Efficiencies reduce overhead costs and waste. Therefore, this is an opportunity to introduce Recycling Program. There exists a group of designers who are looking for ways to divert textile waste, and we need to provide them with opportunities to divert and recycle waste through a Recycling Program.

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3. Why: Environmental Evaluation of Textile Waste Despite the global economic downturn, more clothes are being bought than ever27. The Bureau of International Recycling, an industry advocacy group, claims that 2.2 lbs. of collected clothing or textiles can reduce up to 8 lbs. of CO2 emissions28. By recycling 2.2 lbs. of textiles rather than producing new ones from raw materials, we can also eliminate the use of 1600 gallons of water, 10-1/2 ounces of fertilizer and 7 ounces of pesticide29. Landfills are not a commodity, and eleven million tons of textiles clog up approximately 126 million cubic yards of landfill space. According to the most recently released figures from the EPA in 2010, Americans discarded 13.1 million tons of textiles and only 15 percent was reclaimed for recycling30. Of the city’s 14 million tons of waste per year, we currently recycle half31. There are solutions available, and we need to bring these solutions to the forefront—making the Garment District’s manufacturers, designers, showrooms and sample rooms aware of textile impacts. This can be accomplished through a Recycling Program. The 2005 New York City Department of Sanitation Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Recycling waste stream report identified textile as almost 6 percent of the landfill waste, as much as 193,000 tons a year32. Land is a diminishing resource that must be protected33. The use of land as landfills goes against the principles of sustainable development. Landfills do cause atmospheric pollution and the decomposition of waste creates gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, vinyl chloride, and hydrogen sulfide that slowly seep into the air around the landfill34. This pollution adds to global warming, affects the air we breathe and can eventually cause health problems. Today modern landfills employ state-of-art technologies such as liners, but if they are not leaking now, they will probably start leaking within a few decades of their closure35. Textiles put into landfills can be biodegradable,with soil-resident microorganisms taking part in the degradation of the textile materials36. The textile industry is shared between natural fibers such as wool, silk, linen, cotton and hemp, and man-made ones, the most common of which are synthetic fibers (polyamide, acrylic) made from petrochemicals. Most of the clothes in our wardrobes contain polyester, elastane or Lycra37. Cotton, wool and viscose, which are fibers of natural origin are biodegradable but nylon, polyester are non-biodegradable38. Polypropolene and acrylic fall into the non-biodegradable category39. An ecological sustainability study conducted by the Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, described natural fibers as those that are produced from renewable resources and bring positive effects to living organisms on earth as demonstrated through many centuries of human history40. This study’s scoring system considered the amount of oxygen produced/carbon-dioxide absorbed during the production phase of a fibers, the utilization of renewable resources, land use, usage of fertilizers and pesticides, fiber recyclability and biodegradability of selected fibers. The results of the study showed that natural fibers (conventional cotton, organic cotton, flax, wool) scored better than synthetic fibers41. Nylon, Polyester, polyproplylene and acrylic are non-biodegradable and utilize non-renewable resources and large CO2 emissions scored lower42. It also showed organic cotton to have the least environmental impact and to be a more sustainable fiber followed by flax, conventional cotton and viscose. Acrylic was the least preferred fiber in terms of environmental impact and sustainability43. The fact that most of our clothing today contains one or two non-biodegradable fibers that utilize non-renewable resources contributes to the need for a Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District. These fabrics should not end-up in our landfills, because non-biodegradable fabrics can add to atmospheric pollution, which affects our health and our environment. These fabric scraps should not end up in a landfill, because they can be recycled into upholstery fill, car mats or pillow fill. A Recycling Program can promote these opportunities.

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Historical View: Can we learn from the past? I then examined the history of textile recycling, focusing on what we could learn from its history to see if there were other alternatives. We cannot only learn from history, but, in some instances, use history as a model for a future project. The issue with waste is that our population has grown to numbers higher than anyone’s expectations, and we are consuming more, thus producing excessive amounts of waste. I know that textile recycling is the world’s oldest form of recycling and is often referred to as the “original” recycling industry44. This was due to its economic value in reuse. There has been a change in types of fabrics used today and their fiber content which makes them both difficult to recycle and lowers their economic value because of the lack of opportunities for recycling. Wool was one of the prime fabrics used during the industrial revolution, and most fabrics were 100% wool. Today, our clothing is made of multiple fibers, acrylic, polyester, viscose.

Textiles were once used to manufacture paper, and cotton is still used for high-grade writing papers bank notes and legal documents. There are few garments today manufactured from pure cotton. At one point in our history, rag pickers would pick rags from the garbage in the same way people pick soda/beer bottles today. Rags, including textile scraps, had an economic value. The rag industry had its birth and recycled rags for other uses, mainly paper. The paper mills established a system for rag collection by locating themselves close to major cities with large populations such as Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. The New York City Garment Center’s location is important for the distribution of its products, but can also prove valuable to its waste collection. We can evaluate and accumulate this waste with alternatives for its usage due to its clustering, 9 buildings in a small radius of 7 city streets and 3 avenues. Today, I found textile recycling firms have become small, family owned businesses. The industry as a whole employs approximately 10,000 semi-skilled workers at the primary processing level and an additional 7,000 jobs at the final processing stage. These firms contribute to the revenue base of federal, state and local government45. A large percentage of their raw materials are purchased from charitable institutions, and recyclers are able to process 93% without producing any new hazardous waste or harmful by products. These community programs for recycling clothing and household textiles address the consumer needs. The re-fashioNYC bins can address the industry needs of the Garment District with a Recycling Program that eliminates waste and contributes to a charity, Housing Works, giving the scraps/remnants an economic value by collecting and accumulating them. They can be broken down and reused for car mats, upholstery fill, pillows, as discussed earlier. Also, we should not forget the added economic value in saving our land, reducing transport and enhancing environmental well-being. These factors do not have a price tag.

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4 Case Studies

Another Garment District: Fashion District LA Los Angeles (LA) has gradually established itself as an emerging apparel center. The current incarnation of LA Fashion Week was founded in 2003 to compete with New York Fashion Week46. I examined the Los Angeles Fashion District as compared to the New York Garment District to see if there were any opportunities to learn from the Los Angeles Fashion District. It is not only larger than New York, but there appears to be increased job growth in Los Angeles. The LA Fashion District Business Improvement District (BID) spans 94 blocks and is the hub of the apparel industry on the West Coast47. This district accounts for 41% of Los Angeles County’s fashion wholesale establishments. Wholesale jobs increased by 7% in Los Angeles while falling 17% in New York from 1998 to 2004. Los Angeles had 11% more fashion establishments employing 37% more workers than New York in 200448. Because of Los Angeles’ location a majority of its manufacturing is outsourced to the Asian countries. New York needs to maintain their manufacturing, and if possible, increase it because this will give it a competitive advantage with any new designers entering the business. New designers are entering the industry, producing smaller lines of clothing. They rely on the expertise of the manufacturers in the Garment District to help them grow their businesses. If clothing is outsourced to another country, you do not have the opportunity to check on the production of your clothing line or alter the garment. In New York, designers are able to learn on the job.

Caption: LA FASHION DISTRICT Source: betterthanhumanfiles_wordpress_com-2008-6-fashion district-jpg.

The LA Fashion District, similar to New York, is an incubator for anyone in the fashion industry, having more than 190 textile establishments including fabric houses, trim shops and sample makers, as well as manufacturers, importers, and exporters49. Like New York City, they are located adjacent to many design schools, Otis College of Art & Design vs. New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons. Although manufacturing has moved to lower-cost production in other countries, the Los Angeles Fashion District still has a good demand for producing short runs of popular fashion items50. They believe that the success of retailers like Zara and H&M, who turn their designs around every two weeks, will increase the demand for short runs and quick-turn around fashion51. These short runs will be manufactured in Los Angeles, but outside the Fashion District. This is similar to New York where entrepreneurs are producing small runs, but they are being produced in the Garment District, and I don’t believe the runs are for quick turnaround fashion.

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Los Angeles’ close proximity to the country’s busiest ports is another asset gives them fast and frequent service to and from Asia52. New York’s local manufacturing makes it more sustainable because most of the new young designers are selling to local businesses in the tri-state area, and there are shorter transportation routes. If a New York designer produces overseas, they are adding to the environmental impact of the garment with the carbon dioxide from shipping. This is the reason the New York City Garment District is important to new young designers. They are environmentally conscious and understand the impacts of overseas production. Los Angeles BID also has a Clean and Safe team. The Clean Team cleans up visitor and outside trash, etc. The Safe team insures the safety of visitors. In New York City, the Fashion District has improved the streetscape and has maintenance in the area to remove daily garbage. Neither the New York Fashion Center BID nor the Los Angeles BID talk about recycling. Adding a Recycling Program to New York’s Garment District will add to the clean-up processes in place, and set an example for other fashion Districts, as well as the fashion Schools in the area. The most recent report of Design Trust for Public Space, a New York City nonprofit group that studies urban planning, recommends giving tax credits to designers and retailers who make or sell locally produced clothing and changing zoning to allow landlords to develop new spaces for commercial and residential usage53. The LA Fashion District also includes residential and commercial space. More importantly, this plan will increase development and production in the New York City Garment District and can add to the waste stream. Thus, by introducing a Recycling Program and having it in place before development, a process could be in place to help to eliminate any additional waste.

Designers from NYC Garment District I have been working with a group of designers who I label “Sustainable,” because they understand the need for alternatives to reduce waste, to use chemically-free fabrics, and reduce the amount of transport in their shipments. They work in an industry that has an impact on our environment, and are looking at ways to reduce those impacts. They are the designers that inspired me to find a solution to one of their main issues-what to do with their textile waste. Feral Childe is a women’s clothing manufacturer, who manufactures in NYC with a studio in Sunset Park. They are a small company like most of the new designers in the NYC Garment Center. Alice Wu, who is a partner in the company stated, “While I think we do a pretty good job of recycling the textile waste from our Brooklyn studio, I would like to improve our textile recycling efforts when it comes to the offcuts generated by our production house54. They occasionally ask for scraps from their production house, and have either repurposed them for accessories and trim, or passed them on to other artists or designers. Although they have good intentions in recycling their scraps, it is generally a problem due to storage space. I have introduced this designer to re-fashioNYC, and hopefully, they will have the space to put a bin in their studio. Their sewing contractor bundles the waste and pays for carting service to take it away, but they do not have resources to really sort and recycle. BTS Lingerie is a small clothing manufacturer, who resides in Long Island City and manufacturers in the New York City Garment Center. I spoke to Layla, co-owner of this business this past summer. This company recycles at many different stages. They recycle scraps of paper from their initial patterns, and original samples are saved for sample sales. They try to order fabric pretty close to what will be used, eliminating waste at this stage of the process. She also believes the cutting process is an area that generates the largest amount of waste, so patterns are marked in such a way that they generate only 10-20% of the material left from the pattern. She generally asks for the scraps from her production house and gives any extra yardage to a family member for a handwork class.

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Tara St. James has a studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and manufacturers in New York City. Her tag line is “Making fashion without making waste.” Most of her textiles are purchased in the United States, North Carolina and Los Angeles, but she does purchase silks from diverse weavers in India. She recycles by donating to schools and also has a box of cut-ups for pillow stuffing. Tara believes in zero waste and not only produces very tight patterns, but teaches young designers her pattern making methods. She also asks her manufacturers for scraps, but believes they are minimal. Auralis Herrero Lugo, has a studio in Fort Greene, and manufacturers in-house or in a women’s sewing coop in Puerto Rico. Auralis has her scraps in her studio, and has been awaiting a solution. She states, “Lucky for me I have only been in business for 3 years.55” Her average scraps are 5 pounds bi-weekly, which is one big bag per clothing collection. Anthony LiLore, owner of Restore Clothing, eco-active apparel, which is made and manufactured in New York City, and was named one of Apparel Magazine’s “Sustainability All-Stars for 2011.” They have 3 manufacturers of their apparel line, and two of their manufacturers are being serviced and are recycling their textiles. Their scraps range from inches and strips to full yard cuts, but mostly scraps. The website, (shop.restoreclothing.com) states, “Mindful Active Style for RESTORE is more than a tagline. It is a blend of design, innovation, luxury and a passion for the ethical and sustainable fashion movement spreading around the world today.56” Carrie Parry’s website states, “We seek responsible sources and practices and help people buy more sustainably, educating and learning from our partners and consumers. We understand that sustainability is a process, and are continually striving towards that goal.57” She states her scraps and waste are not being recycled. She donates to school and upcycles scraps into accessories and other items. She would like to be serviced for her scraps because finding schools to donate to is difficult. She collects a few shopping bags a month and has agreed to talk to the Department of Sanitation. This is a handful of designers that are leading the movement in the New York City Garment District. They are open to any suggestions or alternatives for eliminating waste and recycling. They are conscious of the effects of textiles in our landfills and where possible donate to schools or upcycle their scraps into accessories. They also have learned to reduce waste in the marking through efficiency in their pattern-making. In a Daily News article, September 10, 2010, Auralis Herrero stated, “I was really disgusted by how I was making a living, (about designing for private-label companies that ordered patterns and production in China.) The fashion industry is responsible for so much of the pollution in the world.” This generation of designers comes equipped with a social and environmental sense of responsibility and are looking at ways to reduce and not create waste. This is the wave of the future and the New York City Garment Industry should embrace the benefits these designers bring.They understand the value of our environment and seek alternatives for waste reduction.

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5 Recommendations to Reduce Textile Waste and its Environmental Impact

Garment Manufacturing Process I examined points of intervention for waste reduction in a garment’s manufacturing process. Although people clean their closets seasonally, and recycle or throw away unwanted clothes, clothing is being manufactured and replaced throughout the year. Therefore, eliminating waste in the manufacturing process is important to both a recycling program and maintaining sustainability in the Garment District.

STEPS GARMENT/APPAREL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

1 DESIGN + LABELING 2 SOURCE 3 FABRIC SELECTION 4 ORDER TALLYING 5 FABRIC ORDER 6 MARKING + GRADING 7 CUTTING + ASSEMBLY 8 FINISH & SHIP

Step 1, the designer executes the design implementing her/his Brand. In preparing their design, they should understand how they could eliminate waste in their pattern-making. Step 2, the designer sources out the fabric/material from a textile manufacturer along with the finishing parts, buttons, zipper etc. and designates who will grade/mark lay out sizes on the fabric the garment, and then sew and finish the pieces. The quantity of textiles/fabrics that are needed will be dependent on the layout of the design, which will affect the amount of waste produced in production. A designer orders fabric based on their design, but they choose the fabric for the design, before it is marked for sizing. They also pay by the variations in sizes being produced. For example, 100 size 10, 50 size 4, 20 size 2, and 8 size 8. The manufacturing fluctuates depending on these orders, and how many can be cut from the pattern on the material (fabric). Step 3, the designer orders samples of the fabric to be used. Most designers pick out fabric without considering the size and yardage. The marker/grader will lay out the fabric, and the goal is to produce the least amount of waste. Steps 4 and 5, once a designer receives orders for their design, they will tally up the orders, and purchase the fabric needed to produce the garments. By understanding that the design can affect the amount of material used in production, waste can be reduced in these steps. Step 6, designers send their samples to a marker, who lays out the pattern for the cutters. A sample size is given to the marker, and it is laid out for the sizes ordered on the fabric. Create-a-marker, one of the companies I interviewed, tries to lay it out to produce the least amount of waste. They try to use as much as 85% of the fabric. The design can change the amount of waste along with the cost to have it produced by their manufacturer. Efficiency in this step of production can help to eliminate waste.

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Step 7, textile/fabric scraps are either picked up by a textile recycler or mixed in with commercial waste. There is no system in place, and the manufacturers pay to have the waste picked-up. Initiatives in this Step should be examined along with reuse opportunities, introduced through a Recycling Program. Step 8, finish and ship, there is waste in finishing and shipping. There is the sewing of the buttons, or any additional designs to the piece. The shipping and packaging has environmental effects. Recycled materials for packaging and environmental shipping policies can be utilized. Today, both UPS and FedEx have environmental programs. There are important areas of intervention in the marking of the garment, the ordering of the fabric and shipping. Eliminating waste in production is vital to the sustainability of the design. The result needs to be “cradle to cradle”, where materials are used to manufacture a garment and any waste produced can be reused or recycled. This should also happen for the products being produced. In the garment industry, the garment is sold to someone and after use they give it to a relative, friend, a charity or it is thrown in the waste bin. The waste that is produced in manufacturing the garment needs to be addressed in a similar way to other manufacturing processes. These models can be utilized for initiating the Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District. Printers have recycling bins for the end of their production process for paper waste; grille manufacturer has bins on their factory floor for metal waste. These processes as well as the knowledge of the environmental impacts can be part of the Program.

Design and Labeling After reviewing the processes, I looked into additional points of intervention and any opportunities to increase awareness of the environmental impacts of textiles.

The pattern outlines the design, and is the starting point for a designer to reduce waste. A example is the Japanese kimono, which is a zero waste garment. A traditional bolt of kimono fabric is a standard width. This width determines the width of the two back panels, the two front panels and width of the kimono sleeves; they are all the same width58. The elimination of waste begins in the design process.

Caption: PATTERN BY PRECARIOUS DESIGN Source: WWW.OKADADESIG.BLOGSPOT.COM

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Along with the use of organic fibers will be eco-labeling of the fabrics. This is similar to the labeling of papers. Paper is labeled by its recycle content and also, whether or not it is grown in a sustainable forest. This means the trees are grown solely for paper production. As consumers become more environmentally aware, they will be cautious about the clothing they are wearing and purchasing for their children. There are no mandatory rules for the eco-labeling of clothing and textiles at the present time. In order to enhance awareness about the environmental impacts of products, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India (GoI) initiated a scheme in as early as 1991 to label eco-friendly products59. Known as “Ecomark” it aimed to easily identify eco-friendly products. It was based on a “cradle to grave” approach and takes into account the impact of a product from the raw material extraction, to manufacturing, and to final disposal60.

Source: www.ecofashionworld.com By labeling the textiles, we make the consumer aware of the contents and their potential effect on our environment. It may not be economically feasible for everyone to purchase an organic product, but if the demand increases, the cost will decrease. The goal is to achieve a “cradle to cradle” effect for both the end product, the garment, and the manufacturing process. By “cradle to cradle”, we are able to recycle and reuse all the elements used in its production. In “Cradle to Grave” the items are not reused and end up in our landfills. Labeling is already being done by manufacturers and industry groups. MADE-BY is an umbrella label used by fashion brands and retailers to show consumers that their clothes are produced in a sustainable manner. The MADE-BY brands can be identified by means of a blue button61.

Source: www.ecofashionworld.com Levi Strauss & Company, in partnership with Goodwill, began a campaign designed to encourage customers to treat their clothes in an environmentally responsible manner. In 2009, the company began to include care tags encouraging people to wash items in cold water, dry them on a line, and ultimately donate them to Goodwill. The company began to add the new tags into all of its clothing in 201062.

Source:www.treehugger.com

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As informed consumers, we look to see if catalogs are produced on recycled paper. I believe we will be looking for the similar logos in the garments we wear. By introducing a Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District, clothing produced can include a tag, as illustrated below, “Made in NYC Garment District.” According to the new 10-year plan to update and save the Garment District, they would like to launch a “NYC Made” branding campaign63. A Recycling Progam can add to this branding. This branding can increase designers’ production, because consumers are now more aware of where their product is being produced. This can have a positive effect on the economy because added production can translate to added jobs. I believe the garment industry as a whole is becoming more environmentally conscious due to the environmental consciousness of the designers entering the business. As a city, New York is becoming more environmentally aware, and this awareness will only increase over time. The Garment District can take advantage of this and label the garments manufactured in the District.

Source: Tom Caggiano

Fabric Selection The selection of fabric can affect the environment as a result of the waste it produces. We can begin to produce clothing with organic fibers. An organic fiber is one produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulators, antibiotics, or pesticides.64 This includes organic cotton, organic silk, organic wool, soy silk, milk-silk, pine apple fabrics, hemp, peat, fiber, bamboo, recycled fabrics from recycled fiber65. For example, organic cotton garments are often free from chlorine bleaches and synthetic dyes, and no pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides are used during the growing cycle. The number of growers of this crop is increasing. Manufacturers using this plant to make textiles will often use natural dyes to further reduce the amount of chemicals dumped into our ecosystem66. Another example is Hemp which is making a big comeback in the fashion world and has the most potential for being eco-friendly. Hemp grows without fertilizer, requires minimum attention, doesn’t deplete soil nutrients and is easy to harvest. Hemp plants grow quickly and densely. This makes it difficult for weeds to grow between the plants which reduces the need for herbicides and artificial fertilizers67. It also requires no irrigation since it thrives on the amount of water in the average rainfall and is pest-resistant68.

Cutting/Assembly Waste Elimination The Marking and Grading of the patterns is another area where waste can be reduced. Today the average efficiency for a garment is 80%, and at a minimum 10-15% of each garment produced is waste. An average dress can require anywhere from 3-5 yards depending on width of the fabric and the sizes being produced69. Marking and Grading is a skill and is essential to the sustainability of the product produced. Often a marker will give the designer an option of producing more of one dress size to reduce the overall waste. Unfortunately, the cost on the manufacturing end might not be worth the reduction in waste.

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Many consumers donate, recycle, reuse their unwanted clothing, but eliminating waste must begin in the design process and end in its final production. Most manufacturing processes produce end waste, and various industries have processes in place to deal with this waste. Printers have bins in their facilities for their paper waste as well as aluminum waste; metal grille manufacturers have bins for each type of metal waste that is produced in their production process. There are many recycling options for post-consumer waste in the clothing industry, but little for pre-consumer. If an individual designer’s waste is going into mixed garbage, it is adding to our landfills. We need to eliminate this waste. As previously stated, the manufacturers I spoke to said there was no economic value in their textile waste, because production has decreased. I have also been told that the carbon footprint of picking up the textile would make it unsustainable. In the New York City Garment District, there are almost 9 buildings with manufacturing businesses. Some of these manufacturers do have their scraps picked-up by an outside vendor, but others are producing small lines and throwing the waste into mixed garbage. We can begin this waste reduction with re-fashioNYC bins. If these bins are too large for the facility, I would suggest a textile recycling pail, similar to the ones we use for paper recycling (see illustration below). At the end of the day, if collected in each facility, there would be a significant amount of textile waste that could be put into the bins. The bins can be collected weekly or bi-weekly, and this would reduce the carbon produced in trucking it to the recycling facility. Through DSNY’s partnership with Housing Works, textiles are sent to a recycler, clothes are sold in their stores and scraps/remnants can be recycled for alternative uses (car mats, upholstery fill, bed fill). This will reduce the carbon dioxide effects and reduce waste. Reduction of textile waste through recycling and reuse reduces environmental impacts, reduces the impacts on our landfills, and reduces costs for both the city and garment industry. This grouping/clustering for recycling would complement the ecosystem that already exists for the designers. The new proposal from the Fashion Center BID calls for growth in the Garment District, and I believe growth will occur with the next 5-10 years. As the industry grows, processes will improve efficiencies. Efficiencies reduce overhead costs and waste. Therefore, this is an opportunity to introduce a Recycling Program. There exists a group of designers who are looking for ways to divert textile waste, and we need to provide them with opportunities to divert and recycle waste through a Recycling Program.

Source: Tom Caggiano

There are environmentally friendly ways to ship materials, the use of recyclable packaging along with using a shipper, such as, UPS or FedEx that incorporates environmental practices into their programs are simple ways to reduce the carbon output from this process. Many of the designers utilizing the New York City Garment District for their manufacturing are shipping within the New York Area, which adds to the sustainability of their processes.

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Reuse Alternatives There are additional reuse alternatives, which have significant value, but grouping the waste is necessary for it to be efficient. A Recycling Program can help achieve this goal, because of the 10 city blocks that comprise the Garment District. This clustering of manufacturers is the opportunity that will make a Recycling Program successful in the Garment District.

Source: www.greenupgrader.com Listed below are some of the alternatives How to Recycle Fabric (www.greenupgrader.com) suggests. -donating to an arts center -donating to a school -find a textile recycler If recycling in the New York City Garment Center can be organized starting with the refashioNYC bins, additional alternatives can be evaluated. For example, donating to New York City schools for arts and crafts. This alternative needs to be organized, and it can begin with a Recycling Program’s grouping waste pick-ups. The process to recycle textile has to become second nature, like paper recycling. This is the goal we should seek for garment manufacturers and designers. The recycling of paper has become a common goal between the consumer, the corporation and the producer of a printed piece, and the same can happen with textiles. Awareness of the environmental effects of textiles and reuse alternatives can be incorporated into a Recycling Campaign.

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6 Conclusions By initiating a Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District, we will increase the sustainability of the District as well as designers and help the diversion of waste for the city. I have described the strengths and weaknesses of the program in Table 1 of the Introduction. A Recycling Program initiated by the re-fashioNYC Program, including an awareness campaign with the introduction of labeling the garments, will strengthen the Garment District as a manufacturing incubator with an ecosystem for entrepreneurial designers. The strengths of a Recycling Program are designers’ sustainability and their desire to reduce waste. New designers have an environmental and social awareness that is a plus to this industry. Their motivation is to produce a totally sustainable product. Some industries and corporations, such as printing, have changed their rules because of public pressure to be environmentally correct. It was not always because they cared about the environment. These designers’ desire is real, and this Program can help them achieve their goals, and increase the sustainability of their designs, the Garment District and the City itself. There is an opportunity in the introduction of the re-fashioNYC bins, which the core group of designers I interviewed expressed an interest in putting in their studios. The textiles put into the bins have an economic value for Housing Works through reuse for the recycler. There is also an important environmental value that can be strengthened through an awareness campaign in the Recycling Program. We cannot put a price tag on our environment and while we may take it for granted, it cannot be replaced. There is a environmental value in recycling textile waste, and it’s price tag is worth more than the $100-$200 it costs to pick-up the waste. We can reduce and reuse textile waste. A Recycling Program in the New York City Garment District will promote these alternatives. The clustering of the manufacturers provides an opportunity for an efficient Recycling Program. Most of the manufacturers are in 9 buildings, in two zones of the District. This fact will make it easy to implement a program and measure it. Most office buildings have two or more companies occupying its space. We all have recycle bins for paper in our offices and it is collected at the end of the day. We can put the same process in place in these 9 buildings. This will enhance what is an ecosystem in this District because all the processes happen in a 10 street radius. The Garment District is important to both new and established designers, and it is important to the economy of the city. There are 270 operating factories in the Garment District. The Garment District enables new designers to start their own line of clothing and grow small businesses. Small businesses can grow into larger ones and this can grow our ecomony. This Program could add to the growth of the Garment District and its manufacturing sector by attracting new designers the District because of its sustainability and environmental awareness. Diverting and reducing waste is an essential part of the Garment District’s ecosystem. I believe its weaknesses and threats can be overcome with this Program. The identified designers who want to eliminate waste can help influence both the manufacturers and other designers to understand its importance. The clustering of the manufacturers provides an opportunity for an efficient Recycling Program. By installing re-fashioNYC bins in these buildings waste can be reduced even at a minimal level because the waste would be collected on a building by buidling basis from more than one manufacturer. It would then have an economic value for Housing Works, because the textile scraps would be substantial. By identifying the buildings and the manufacturers, we can begin to calculate the level of textile waste. The re-fashioNYC bins can be utilized in these buildings to provide a convenient outlet for waste reduction, and as stated previously, provide an economic value to Housing Works.

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Diverting and reuse of textiles is important to our environment, and awareness of its impacts should be included in the program. This awareness can help the industry to become more conscious of the need to recycle. No waste is too small to be recycled. H&M has announced it is going to launch a clothing collection initiative next year. Beginning February 2013, customers will be able to donate used garments—any piece of clothing will be accepted, of any brand—at all H&M stores in the chain’s 48 markets worldwide70. Marks and Spencers in London has a similar program. This is just the beginning of what may be our next wave of recycling. New York City’s Garment District can be the first “fashion district” with a “Recycling Program.”

Next Steps We had a first meeting with the designers and DSNY and will continue to conduct these meetings to brainstorm how we can escalate the importance of a Recycling Program. The major stakeholders are the designers, the Garment District and the Department of Sanitation. The designers and the Department of Sanitation will work together to figure out how and where they can put bins. The Garment District’s leading designers need to become aware of the necessity of a program. We need to identify the buildings and manufacturers, and understand who is receiving recycling service. An Awareness Campaign of the effects of textile impacts on the environment can become part of the Program. Labeling of the garments will be a plus for both the designers and manufacturers. It will advertise the Garment District and the designers’ environmental practices. The Recycling Program will include the following: -Introduction of the re-fashioNYC BINS to studios, manufacturers -Introduction of the “Made In the New York City Garment District” labeling. -An Awareness Campaign including Environmental Impacts, Shipping Alternatives, Reuse Opportunities -Lobby for the Program to be initiated. A Recycling Program is a win win for New York City, the Department of Sanitation, the designers, and the Garment District. It will reduce waste, increase the sustainability of the designers, bring an environmental awareness to the Garment District and enhance its image. Most importantly, a Recycling Program, will improve our environment adding social value to the work of the New York City Garment District.

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47 Economic Contributions of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Beyond the Trends. 2006. LA Fashion District Business Improvement District. www.lafashion.veplan.net. Accessed Web November 1, 2012 48 Economic Contributions of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Beyond the Trends. 2006. www.lafashion.veplan.net. Accessed Web November 1, 2012 49 Economic Contributions of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Beyond the Trends. 2006. www.lafashion.veplan.net. Accessed Web November 1, 2012 50 Economic Contributions of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Beyond the Trends. 2006. www.lafashion.veplan.net. Accessed Web November 1, 2012 51 Economic Contributions of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Beyond the Trends. 2006. www.lafashion.veplan.net.Accessed Web November 1, 2012 52 Economic Contributions of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Beyond the Trends. 2006. www.lafashion.veplan.net.Accessed Web November 1, 2012 53 Wilson, Eric, “A Garment Center With Some Big Ideas.” The New York Times. October 17, 2012. www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/fashion/garment-district-has-some-big-ideas. Accessed Web 10/18/2012 54 Interview, Alice Wu, June 19, 2012. 55 Auralis Herrera Lugo. Interview, August, 2012. 56 www.retsoreclothing.com. Accessed November 19,2012. 57 www.carrieparry.com Accessed November 19, 2012. 58 www.okadadesign.blogspot.com, accessed web, November 19, 2012. 59Eco Fashion Guide. Organizations. MADE-BY. Web 9/2012.www.ecofashionworld.com 60 Eco Fashion Guide. Organizations. MADE-BY. Web 9/2012.www.ecofashionworld.com 61 Eco Fashion Guide. Organizations. MADE-BY. Web 9/2012.www.ecofashionworld.com 62 Helmbuch, Jaymi. “Levi Strauss & Co add “Donate to Goodwill” to Clothing Care Tags. Living Style, October 21, 2009. Web July 2012.www.treehgger.com/style/levisgoodwill-care-tags. 63Dailey, Jessica. “A 10-year Plan To Update and Save The Garment District. October 17, 2012. Accessed Web. November 14, 2012.http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/10/17a_10year_plan_to_update_and_save_the_garment. 64 Challa..”Impact of textiles ..” www.fibre2fashion.com. Accessed, October 29, 2012. 65 Challa..”Impact of textiles ..” www.fibre2fashion.com. Accessed, October 29, 2012. 66 Challa..”Impact of textiles ..” www.fibre2fashion.com. Accessed, October 29, 2012. 67 Challa..”Impact of textiles ..” www.fibre2fashion.com. Accessed, October 29, 2012. Challa..”Impact of textiles ..” www.fibre2fashion.com. Accessed, October 29, 2012. 68 Challa..”Impact of textiles ..” www.fibre2fashion.com. Accessed, October 29, 2012. 69 www.dummies.com/.../sewing-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html. Accessed November 24, 2012 70 Environmental & Energy Management News. “H&M” Launches Clothing Recycling.” December 6, 2012. Accessed Web, December 12, 2012www.environmentalleader.com/2012/12/06/hm-launcches-global-clothing-recycling/ Additional Reference Materials Kate Fletcher, “Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. May 4, 2012 Samantha MacBride, “Recycling Reconsidered (Urban and Industrial Environments). January 30, 2012 INTERVIEWS Alice Wu, Feral Child- May, 2012 Tara St. James, Study-July, 2012 Carrie Parry, Carrie Parry-November, 2012 Auralis Herrero, Auralis-October, 2012 Layla, Between the Sheets-July, 2012 Anthony Lilore, Restore Clothing- September, 2012 Paul Cavazza, Create-a-Marker-July, 2012 Carl Zimring, Pratt Institute-July, 2012