If you’ve ever watched Project Runway, you know every episode includes a trip to Mood Fabrics in NYC. So when the hubby and I visited last month, I just had to see it in person. Let me just say that it is massively overwhelming, but in a good way! The store covers three floors, and each one is stacked with rolls and rolls of fabric, organized by fiber type.
One funny tidbit–the street-level store is actually Mood Home, which sells home-decorating fabric. The regular store, which sells all manner of apparel fabric, is located upstairs, and you can’t really see it from the street.
Whenever I would watch Project Runway contestants struggling to pull fabric off the shelves, I wondered why it was so hard to access the material. Now I know. Those rolls are heavy, and the one you want is inevitably below several other rolls. However, the staff is always ready to help. There were multiple staffers on each floor, and I was asked several times if I needed assistance.
Don’t you just swoon when you look at the photo above? Sigh, sooo much to choose from. I ended up buying just one cut of fabric, a remnant from Carolina Herrera. Many famous designers send their leftover fabric to Mood for sale, and you just have to be willing to work with what’s available. For instance, when the staffer rolled out the fabric I had chosen, there was only 1-3/4 yards available before a weird cut appeared on the roll. I had wanted to buy 2 yards, but I’m sure I can make do with what I got; I’m thinking a skirt. I also bought a “Thank You, Mood” shirt and bag! Unfortunately, Swatch the dog didn’t make an appearance. I would have loved to pet him.
After leaving Mood, we wandered around the garment district and bopped into a couple of stores that sell trim. I didn’t buy much, because you would really have to know exactly what you wanted it for, but just imagine having access to these supplies all the time!
The other fun and inspiring thing about the garment district was seeing the studios that are on the upper floors of some buildings. This photo may not really show it, but these are all working studios where it was clear that garments were being produced–I could see the clothing racks and mannequins. I love the huge windows and all the natural light. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a place like that to sew in??
That’s it for my little tour of the garment district. If you’re a sewist, I hope you get to visit someday!
