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(NEW YORK) With more and more of the garments sold in the States assembled overseas, Yoana Baraschi wants to bring some attention back locally. The designer, who recently met with Anna Sui’s “Save the Garment District” initiative, took matters into her own hands by promoting the positive: most of her collection is made very close to home. “I was prepping our fall collection and I realized 60% of it is made in New York City, a couple of blocks from the studio,” she said. “We decided it was time to let the world know that we actually do this, that things are made here.” Baraschi and her team created special labels and hangtags for their garments with iconic NYC symbols, declaring her pieces are made locally. “We took them to Coterie, and the response was overwhelming,” she said. “Our customer thought it was a great selling point for them. We want to show that there are things made in the USA, that we have craftsmanship and resources and all. And in addition to that, New York has a very special cachet; it’s cool to have things made in New York.”

Baraschi’s team is sending a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg next week, and plans to reach out to Michelle Obama about her initiative in the hopes that it will reach more designers. “Imagine that all the designers come up with their own hangtags. That can start an artistic initiative, a grassroots movement that can have huge appeal to press and retailers,” she said. “It would be amazing if what I think will happen, will happen and people pick it up. It’s so simple.”
EMILY GYBEN

Check out the article on Fashion Week Daily Dispatch.

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