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Ask LaBricoleuse: Millinery Musings
Jul. 25th, 2008 02:58 pmOkay, so the title of this post is a total misnomer, because nobody actually directly asked me about this; however, there's been a discussion on the USITT costumers' e-list about Baer Fabrics closing its doors and various other industry suppliers going out of business, and Manny's Millinery Supply, a staple of the NYC Garment District for decades, was mentioned. I wrote a long post to the email group about millinery sourcing in the wake of Manny's demise (the store, not the proprietor), which i thought i'd share here as well so that it would be a googleable resource.
Recall that i spent a portion of my summer as a millinery assistant at Cha Cha's House of Ill Repute, a NY-based couture millinery studio in Brooklyn. (I've got a forthcoming post on just that with some studio and equipment shots to share, but i digress.) The proprietress passed on to me a few suppliers' contact info from a recent NY Milliners' Guild meeting regarding the impending closure of Manny's, which i will gladly share.
As theatrical costumers all across the continent, many of us are probably already familiar with mail-order millinery supply vendors like Hats By Leko and Judith M and CA Millinery, but if not, those three are good to check out for a range of supplies.
Also mentioned for hatbodies--particularly for good prices on straws (though he carries velours as well)--was World Hat Company, based in Florida. World Hat is the US importer for all panama hatbodies (or so they said at the Guild meeting) and the supplier for all other mail-order vendors in the US. He also does batch discounts and they don't all need to be the same color, so if you need a dozen straw hatbodies, say, for a class or a particular show, try World Hat.
Taking over a lot of Manny's merchandise (such as hatbodies, braids, hatboxes, sizing, etc.) will be Manhatco, which is owned by a man named Raymond Agard. I spoke with him by phone recently--he is in the process of moving shop, with a retail location opening at 124 W 30th street, 212-764-2218. If you do any shopping trips to NYC in the course of your season or academic year, you can pick stuff up, and if mail order is your only option, it's worth giving him a call, or emailing him at < manhatco at yahoo.com >. I know he has a website in the works, so presumably that will more easily facilitate mail order sales at some point.
I also made mention of Tinsel Trading as a resource for vintage flowers and trims, but since i've profiled them recently in here i won't repeat myself.
Hope this is of some consolation to those feeling the loss of Manny's as a millinery supply resource!
Recall that i spent a portion of my summer as a millinery assistant at Cha Cha's House of Ill Repute, a NY-based couture millinery studio in Brooklyn. (I've got a forthcoming post on just that with some studio and equipment shots to share, but i digress.) The proprietress passed on to me a few suppliers' contact info from a recent NY Milliners' Guild meeting regarding the impending closure of Manny's, which i will gladly share.
As theatrical costumers all across the continent, many of us are probably already familiar with mail-order millinery supply vendors like Hats By Leko and Judith M and CA Millinery, but if not, those three are good to check out for a range of supplies.
Also mentioned for hatbodies--particularly for good prices on straws (though he carries velours as well)--was World Hat Company, based in Florida. World Hat is the US importer for all panama hatbodies (or so they said at the Guild meeting) and the supplier for all other mail-order vendors in the US. He also does batch discounts and they don't all need to be the same color, so if you need a dozen straw hatbodies, say, for a class or a particular show, try World Hat.
Taking over a lot of Manny's merchandise (such as hatbodies, braids, hatboxes, sizing, etc.) will be Manhatco, which is owned by a man named Raymond Agard. I spoke with him by phone recently--he is in the process of moving shop, with a retail location opening at 124 W 30th street, 212-764-2218. If you do any shopping trips to NYC in the course of your season or academic year, you can pick stuff up, and if mail order is your only option, it's worth giving him a call, or emailing him at < manhatco at yahoo.com >. I know he has a website in the works, so presumably that will more easily facilitate mail order sales at some point.
I also made mention of Tinsel Trading as a resource for vintage flowers and trims, but since i've profiled them recently in here i won't repeat myself.
Hope this is of some consolation to those feeling the loss of Manny's as a millinery supply resource!
