Yes, another video post, but I recently saw this and would recommend giving it a go.
Filled with amazing archival footage and directed by Marc Levin, "Schmatta:Rags to Riches to Rags" is a fairly good, if not a bit hurried, look at the garment and textile industries in the US, from the triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911 to the birth of worker's rights and the unions. From the Kennedy years to the Reagan era. Up to present day, as more domestic factories close and nearly 95% of the manufacturing of American clothing is done overseas. A real eye opener.
Click HERE to visit the official site and HERE to learn more about the present situation in the Garment Center.
I've seen this. Depressing. There is the scarry line about "What happens when the white collar jobs move to China?" gives you the feeling America is going to be a shitty place a couple decades from now. Excellent film.
ReplyDeleteThanks for brining more attention to this cause. As a writer for the Garment Center fashion blog, www.39thandbroadway.com I feel very strongly about maintaining the area and keeping jobs in NYC!
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