Brooklyn has long been a hub for garment manufacturing and fashion design. From large factories churning out basic clothing to small designer brands creating high-end fashion, Brooklyn is home to a diverse range of apparel companies.
This article will highlight the top 10 clothing manufacturers currently operating in Brooklyn. The companies on this list represent some of the best in business when it comes to quality, craftsmanship, and innovation. Many have been perfecting their products for decades and continue to set trends in the fashion industry.
The clothing makers on this list design and produce apparel ranging from denim jeans to custom suits to avant-garde fashion. Their factories and showrooms are spread throughout Brooklyn neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Sunset Park.
From heritage brands that have been manufacturing in Brooklyn for over 100 years to cutting-edge startups disrupting the fashion industry, read on to learn about the top clothing producers calling Brooklyn home.
1 – Noble Denim
Noble Denim is a Brooklyn-based denim company founded in 2007 by Abrielle Escher and Chris Noble. Located in Greenpoint, Noble Denim specializes in creating high-quality selvedge denim jeans using vintage looms and innovative fabrics.
The company’s manufacturing facility in Brooklyn harbors a collection of rare vintage shuttle looms from the 1950s that are used to produce their signature selvedge denim fabrics. Noble Denim takes pride in being one of the few denim companies still weaving fabrics and sewing jeans in the United States.
All Noble Denim jeans are cut and sewn in their Greenpoint factory where they employ skilled sewers, pattern makers, and fabric experts. Their small batch production allows for strict quality control and consistency. Noble Denim’s environmentally conscious practices include using non-toxic dyes and recycled fabrics.
In addition to premium selvedge denim, Noble Denim creates jeans and apparel using organic cottons, hemp blends, and Tencel. Their clothing combines vintage workwear-inspired designs with modern fits designed for everyday wear. The attention to detail and personal touch shines through in each pair of Noble Denim jeans.
Known for constantly innovating and experimenting with new weaving and finishing techniques, Noble Denim represents the future of sustainably-made American denim. Their Brooklyn headquarters itself is a must-see destination for denim aficionados.
2 – Meg LLC
Meg LLC is a high-end women’s clothing manufacturer located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Founded in 2009 by designer Meghan Keneally, Meg LLC produces limited-edition ready-to-wear collections in natural luxury fabrics.
Keneally established her brand’s studio and factory in Building 77 of the historic Navy Yard. There, she oversees a team of expert pattern makers, sample machinists, and production sewers crafting each garment.
Meg LLC is known for combining fine Italian and French fabrics such as silks, cashmeres, and lace with tailored construction influenced by menswear. Each seasonal collection features striking prints and textiles created through collaborations with artists.
While producing in small batches, Meg LLC maintains rigorous quality control throughout cutting and sewing. Their clothing is manufactured almost entirely by hand. Every detail down to the hand-stitched buttons is overseen by Keneally and her team.
In addition to ready-to-wear, Meg LLC offers custom clothing for private clients. Keneally also founded the Meg Grant to support emerging fashion designers with free studio space and mentorship.
Based in Brooklyn’s thriving fashion and manufacturing hub, Meg LLC provides an example of expert craftsmanship and ethical production in the modern apparel industry. Their sustainable small-batch production allows for originality and mindfulness in design.
3 – Martin Greenfield Clothiers
Martin Greenfield Clothiers is an iconic men’s suit manufacturer that has been hand-tailoring suits in Brooklyn since 1977. Owned and operated by Martin Greenfield, the company is located in the historic Williamsburg neighborhood.
Greenfield immigrated to the United States as a young man and began working as a tailor’s assistant in 1947. He trained under experienced craftsmen at tailoring shops like GGG Clothes and Daroff & Sons in Brooklyn.
After gaining decades of technical skills and expertise, Greenfield founded his own tailoring shop focusing on high-quality suits made entirely by hand. To this day, finishing touches like buttonholes and lapels are cut and stitched by hand.
Martin Greenfield Clothiers makes suits and other garments for top designers and upscale retailers. Their clients include reputable names like Brooks Brothers, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, and Armani.
In their Brooklyn factory, suits go through an extensive production process involving over 100 individual steps from pattern drafting to quality control. Their tailored suits are known for precision fit, fine Italian and English fabrics, and meticulous construction.
By preserving the tradition of handmade clothing, Martin Greenfield Clothiers represents made in America craftsmanship at its finest. They combine generations of tailoring knowledge with modern technology to create lasting garments.
Chapter 4 – Bedford Inc.
Bedford Inc. is a high-end menswear company specializing in handcrafted suits, sport coats, and trousers. Founded in Brooklyn in 2013 by clothing designer Daniel Bedford, Bedford Inc. aims to make the world’s finest hand-tailored garments.
The company houses its design studio and manufacturing operations in a loft building in Williamsburg. There, Bedford and his small team of expert pattern makers and sample tailors produce garments from start to finish by hand.
Using fine imported and domestic fabrics, Bedford Inc. is best known for their hand-tailored jackets featuring soft, natural construction. For each garment, every detail down to the lapel, collar, and pocket flaps are carefully cut, stitched, and pressed by hand.
In addition to suits and sport coats, Bedford Inc. produces shirts, pants, outerwear, and accessories. They also offer full custom suit services. Their retail showroom in Brooklyn displays their full collection.
Bedford Inc. represents a new wave of independent, small-scale clothing makers bringing manufacturing back to New York. By combining heritage techniques with a modern aesthetic, they create timeless American menswear.
5 – Pierrepont Hicks
Pierrepont Hicks is a made-in-New-York men’s tie and accessory brand founded in 2009 by Mac McMillan and Jonathan Rider. Their factory and design studios are located in Brooklyn’s old Pfizer pharmaceutical building.
All Pierrepont Hicks ties, bow ties, and pocket squares are cut and sewn by hand in their Brooklyn workshop. They use high quality fabrics sourced from Italy, England, and the United States.
Their small-batch production allows Pierrepont Hicks to focus on quality craftsmanship and unique details in each accessory. The brand is known for playful patterns and collaborations with independent artists and designers.
In addition to their line of accessories, Pierrepont Hicks offers custom neckwear design services. Clients can personalize everything from fabric selections to lining prints.
Pierrepont Hicks represents a new generation of independent New York City apparel brands. By combining irreverent style with quality handmade construction, the brand encapsulates a distinctly Brooklyn aesthetic. Their accessible luxury ties and pocket squares add local character to any outfit.
6 – Oxxford Clothes
Oxxford Clothes is an iconic luxury men’s suit and sportswear brand that has been handcrafting clothing in America since 1916. Their factory headquarters are located in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood.
Founded by the brothers Jacob, Louis and Max Goldworm, Oxxford Clothes pioneered fine hand-tailoring in Chicago and eventually relocated to New York in the 1930s. As devotees of handwork, the Goldworms perfected early versions of the natural shoulder suit style.
Oxxford Clothes specializes in using fine fabrics such as wool tropical, wool gabardine, lightweight cashmere, silk, linen and Sea Island cotton. All suits and sport coats are stitched entirely by hand with techniques mastered by Oxxford tailors over generations.
In addition to suits, Oxxford produces hand-crafted trousers, shirts, topcoats and formalwear. Their clothing can be found at upscale department stores and specialty retailers. They also offer made-to-measure services.
As one of the oldest American suitmakers, Oxxford Clothes represents a continuous legacy of craftsmanship. Their meticulous tailoring process and eye for innovation has shaped fine American style over the decades.
7 – Isaia
Isaia is a luxury Neapolitan tailored clothing brand founded in Naples, Italy in 1920. While rooted in Italian craftsmanship, Isaia operates a flagship store and workshop in Brooklyn to design and produce made-to-measure suits and shirts for the New York market.
The Isaia atelier resides in a 19th-century building in Williamsburg. There, a team of master Neapolitan tailors craft bespoke suits and shirts by hand for local clients. All accessories from silk ties to leather goods are also manufactured onsite.
Isaia is renowned for its soft Neapolitan tailoring using fine Italian wool blends. Jackets are cut to contour the silhouette with signature details like rounded lapels and slanted pockets. Trousers are lightweight with a relaxed pleated style.
In addition to bespoke tailoring, Isaia’s Brooklyn atelier offers custom suit services and exclusive ready-to-wear pieces. The in-house workshop allows New Yorkers to experience Isaia’s heritage of Italian craftsmanship firsthand.
Bringing Neapolitan style and technical artisanship to Brooklyn, the Isaia atelier merges generations of tradition with a contemporary made-to-measure experience. The Brooklyn workshop solidifies the brand’s place at the forefront of luxury Italian fashion.
8 – CYC Design Corp
CYC Design Corp is a renowned high-end tailoring company that specializes in made-to-measure suits for men and women. Founded in 1973 by Indian tailor Mohan “Mike” Murjani, CYC operates its factory and showroom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The brand is known for impeccable patternmaking and hand-tailoring techniques refined over decades of operation. CYC tailors undergo rigorous training for years before being promoted to patternmakers or cutters.
All suit fabrics at CYC are sourced from elite Italian mills like Reda and Vitale Barberis Canonico. Customers can select from thousands of fabric options to design their ideal suit. In addition to suits, CYC crafts overcoats, tuxedos, shirts and more.
The CYC cutting room is equipped with state-of-the-art technology like 3D body scanners. However, each suit is assembled and finished by hand for optimal quality. For women, the atelier offers both suiting and elegant evening wear.
By combining traditional handwork with modern technology, CYC Design Corp. represents the pinnacle of made-to-measure clothing in America. Their ever-evolving Brooklyn studio has outfitted celebrities, politicians, and business moguls for decades.
9 – Red Hook NY
Red Hook NY is a sustainable clothing factory based in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood. Founded by husband and wife team Abby Sugar andOdile Cohen, the brand aims to bring local apparel production back to New York City.
The company’s factory, design studio and retail shop are all located within a single renovated warehouse building in Red Hook. There, the founders oversee a team of patternmakers, sample machinists, and production sewers creating small batch apparel.
Red Hook NY focuses on everyday staples for women and men including t-shirts, sweaters, dresses and outerwear. Using sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, recycled polyester and low-impact dyes, each design is crafted in their Brooklyn space.
In addition to ready-to-wear, Red Hook NY offers custom clothing services allowing customers to personalize garment patterns, fabrics and trims.
By re-establishing domestic apparel manufacturing and combining Old World techniques with green materials, Red Hook NY proves ethical production can thrive in New York. The brand’s accessible collections encapsulate their sustainable, community-driven ethos.
10 – Leiber USA
Leiber USA manufactures Leiber’s iconic luxury handbags and accessories at their factory in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard. Founded by Judith Leiber and Gerson Leiber in 1963, the brand has been creating American-made designer bags for decades.
The Leiber factory is housed in the historic Building 20 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There, artisans hand craft each metal frame and embellish Leiber’s signature minaudières with thousands of hand-applied Swarovski crystals.
In addition to minaudières, Leiber produces other fine bags like clutches and shoulder bags featuring exotic skins and personalized hardware. Each bag receives hours of expert attention before being finished and polished by hand.
With a long legacy of expert craftsmanship, Leiber USA products are sold by top luxury retailers worldwide. Their classic evening bags have become status symbols carried by First Ladies and celebrities over the years.
By maintaining their Brooklyn headquarters, Leiber USA continues to prove American manufacturing can uphold the highest standards of luxury goods. Their Navy Yard factory allows them to preserve generations of handwork while inspiring future fashion artisans.
Conclusion
Brooklyn remains one of the country’s most vibrant hubs for garment and fashion manufacturing. The clothing companies featured in this article represent the borough’s diverse landscape of apparel design and production.
From denim specialists like Noble Denim to suiting institutions like Oxxford Clothes, Brooklyn is home to brands creating high-quality clothing with rich heritage. Many continue family legacies while newcomers forge their own path.
Cutting-edge designers like Meg LLC prove small-batch manufacturing can flourish locally with global reach. Brands like Pierrepont Hicks merge classic technique with modern style and sustainability.
With skilled artisans, quality materials, and passion for craft, these Brooklyn-based brands set the standard for the future of fashion. By preserving traditions while embracing innovation, they ensure clothing continues to be made well – and made in New York.
FAQ
What types of clothing do manufacturers in Brooklyn produce?
Brooklyn’s clothing manufacturers produce a diverse range of apparel including denim, bespoke suits, dresses, shirting, neckwear, and luxury handbags. The factories create ready-to-wear collections as well as made-to-measure and custom clothing.
Where are the major clothing manufacturing hubs in Brooklyn?
Popular neighborhoods for clothing production include Williamsburg, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenpoint, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Many brands operate design studios, factories, and retail spaces within these areas.
Why is manufacturing still done in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn provides access to skilled workers trained in cut and sew production. Manufacturing locally allows brands to maintain quality control and create limited-run collections not feasible overseas. It enables faster turnaround and more sustainability.
What is the future of clothing manufacturing in Brooklyn?
With rising consumer interest in ethical production, experts predict locally-made apparel will continue growing. Manufacturers increasingly implement green practices and technologies while preserving heritage techniques.
Can you visit the clothing factories featured?
Many Brooklyn clothing factories have retail shops and offer tours or sample sales. Some provide custom or made-to-measure services at their showrooms. Visiting allows customers to see the production process first-hand.