From the Archive: The Hands Behind Fashion’s Seams

by · WWD
"New York Behind the Scenes, Spring '08," WWD, Sept. 5, 2007.Fairchild Archive/WWD

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and, for many, a return to work. As fashion’s fall calendar begins, it is also a moment to recognize the hands that keep the industry moving forward.

WWD has documented that workforce — from early unions and strikes to tragedies such as the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the 2013 Rana Plaza Collapse. In America, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, founded in the early 1900, fought for fair wages and working conditions. Its “Look for the Union Label” campaign brought greater awareness to the garment industry’s often-unseen workforce.

Today, many brands are reshaping public appreciation for those unheard voices by sharing the traditional runway finale with them. Martin Margiela helped pioneer today’s efforts in 1989. Virgil Abloh, Sarah Burton, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Zac Posen, Brandon Maxwell and Willy Chavarria have followed. In 2007, WWD put fashion’s workforce into perspective in its “New York Behind the Scenes” spring 2008 look-forward, championing not just the designers but the hands behind the seams.

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“New York Behind the Scenes, Spring ’08,” WWD, Sept. 5, 2007. Fairchild Archive/WWD