ACTION UPDATE: We’ve gotten word that the next Committee hearing on the MSMX Proposal is on July 1! If you live in NYC, please sign this Action Network link to contact your NYC City Council member and let them know that you stand with us.

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Petition Summary

The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX) threatens to displace the very makers who built New York’s fashion legacy. We urge City Hall and the Department of City Planning to adopt seven key protections that keep the Garment District thriving. Sign this petition to stand with NYC’s designers, factory workers, educators, and fashion businesses—and help sew them into the city’s future.

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New York City’s Garment District is one of the last remaining fashion manufacturing ecosystems in the country. It is a vital economic engine and cultural asset that sustains over 5,000 fashion jobs—from sewers and patternmakers to sample rooms and small factories—and supports thousands more jobs in design, merchandising, retail, and related services.

Today, this ecosystem is under threat. Proposed zoning changes in Midtown South could lead to new development pressures that displace garment businesses and erase the infrastructure that has made NYC the global capital of fashion.

We are calling on City Planning and MSMX stakeholders to take urgent action to protect and strengthen this critical industry.

We urge the City to:
-Preserve the Garment District's current zoning protections to prevent the loss of remaining manufacturing space.
-Invest in building ownership models that allow industrial tenants to stay and grow.
-Prioritize capital funding and workforce development programs that directly support NYC’s fashion production workforce.

These are the same principles outlined in our community letter, which has been signed by dozens of industry leaders, businesses, workers, and educators across the city. You can read the full letter here:  View the Letter to City Planning and MSMX

New York’s fashion identity—and the jobs, skills, and creativity that define it—depend on smart policies that recognize the value of local manufacturing. Now is the time to act.

The Garment District isn’t a relic—it’s a vital engine of innovation, community, and culture. It’s the backstage of New York’s fashion identity, and it deserves an honored seat at the planning table.

Sign this petition to join NYC Fashion and Maker Community to urge the NYC Department of City Planning and MSMX Stakeholders to sew in protections for fashion jobs, local production, and the future of New York’s Garment District