Mission Statement
Manufacture New York is a fashion incubator/factory hybrid dedicated to providing independent designers with the resources & skills to streamline their production process & transform local manufacturing into the most affordable, innovative option for all.
Our headquarters will include a fully-equipped sampling room, manufacturing facilities, classroom space (open to the public), private studios for rent and a state-of-the art computer lab complete with the industry’s latest software for design + production. We will also offer a dedicated area for experimentation with environmentally-friendly fabric washes, dyeing, finishes and special textile applications.
About Manufacture New York: This project is based around our director, Bob Bland’s, practical experience over 8+ years as an NYC designer, and desire to help create social good within the fashion industry at large, especially here in New York City. If something like Manufacture New York already existed, she would be a member & producing her fashion label there. With the current infrastructure of domestic apparel manufacturing dwindling, we simply have to create a new model. There are old factories sitting empty, and industrial space in the Garment District is being rezoned as residential/commercial. There are excellent, hard-working production managers and sewers who are now working out of their homes, have had to change industries, or are simply unemployed. And there are a generation of talented fashion entrepreneurs who have built loyal followings around their brands' stylistic brilliance and forward-thinking innovation, but have woefully limited options when it comes to making their product available to a larger audience.
Right now, the only way you can realistically produce and distribute your fashion designs is either by yourself or with a small studio, or by outsourcing to foreign manufacturers whose minimum order requirements are almost always too large for even well-established emerging designers. That is why almost every new collection the public hears about today is fronted either by a celebrity or a big brand with pre-existing factory relationships. There is an "A"...and a "C"...but no "B". Manufacture New York is here to connect the dots- to mentor, train and supply independent designers with affordable, consistent production resources so that their brands can grow.
About Our CEO/Founder: Bob Bland is a Brooklyn-based fashion designer, entrepreneur and community art advocate. Her brand, Brooklyn Royalty, was founded in 2006 and inspired by the fiercely independent spirit and highly individual aesthetic of King’s County residents. A professional apparel + graphic designer with previous experience at Marc by Marc Jacobs, Triple Five Soul, Rugby by Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Banana Republic, her line combines timeless design principles, premium materials and hand-printed graphics that are meant to look and wear better over time.
In 2009, Bob created The Arsenal, an inclusive cultural event space that doubled as a showroom and fashion laboratory for the local creative community. Built on the foundations of an actual Civil War-era armory, The Arsenal’s inception and subsequent partnership with Brooklyn Royalty provided the brand with opportunities to exhibit new collections and host innovative fashion events in a gallery-style setting.
In 2010, Bob’s NYC headquarters were located at Kingdom, a Williamsburg phenomena that served triple-duty as bar, boutique and gallery space for the local creative community. Her first-ever concept store, Kingdom exclusively stocked Brooklyn Royalty men's and ladies' apparel, accessories and jewelry, as well as 15 of the best local & independent designers, along with gallery exhibitions and BKR collaborations with emerging artists.