MADE IN BROOKLYN
Six months into Brooklyn Sewn’s launch, Gensler already has plans to more than triple the existing 12,000-square-foot-space and expand its menu of services. Manufacturing locally offers a host of advantages for designers, foremost of which is the ability to deal with snafus quickly and expediently.
You don’t have to second-guess the work conditions in far-flung factories; Brooklyn Sewn welcomes clients to speak with the people who bring their garments to life.
“The more you control the process, the more you control your fate,” Gensler tells Ecouterre. Rather than wait months for samples to cross oceans, designers can stay nimble by making tweaks and changes on the spot. You don’t have to second-guess the work conditions in far-flung factories, either. Facilities like Brooklyn Sewn welcome clients to speak with the people who bring their garments to life.
Because Brooklyn Sewn shares a space with the Keystone Design Union, Gensler’s branding agency, designers can also take advantage of the strategic and marketing services on tap. In a media-saturated world, effective branding has become a key determinant of success. It’s no longer enough that a product speak for itself. “The image is worth more than the object because the image is consumed more,” Gensler says.
SERUM VERSUS VENOM
In addition to serving other designers and brands, Brooklyn Sewn will also function as the primary production quarters of Serum Versus Venom, Gensler’s “anti-mass-agenda” clothing line. The antithesis of mass-marketed, mass-produced, and mass-consumed fashion, SVSV uses reclaimed fabrics to construct its menswear and jewelry.
Drawing inspiration from military history, SVSV’s latest collection includes shirts and jackets made from vintage army gear.
Drawing inspiration from military history, SVSV’s latest collection includes shirts and jackets made from vintage army gear and uniforms. Authentic details abound: A former soldier’s name, for instance, can be found scrawled on the back of a shirt constructed from an old army tent. Upon closer inspection, you’ll even find rips in the fabric that were diligently patched over by its owner.
The collection also features recycled denim, certified-organic slub chambray, and chunky knits from Roopa Knitting Mills in Toronto.
