The decline of craftsmanship due to industrial production in the United States is widely recognized, yet the value of well-crafted articles is still highly appreciated. In the lucrative fashion industry, for instance, Manolo Blahnik shoes are admired by savvy consumers who know and trust not only their financial worth and associated status, but also their history and tradition as a meticulously crafted, some would say, piece of art.

How do we define craft other than as the complete integration of all aspects of design and production?

Distinguished from the common American model in which designers establish their business and production across many locations worldwide, this thesis will investigate an alternatively condensed
building accommodating the entire process required to run a successful fashion line, that of the European atelier model. The atelier is a “vertically” integrated workshop in which designers can create and produce seasonal collections from conceptual idea to retail under one roof. The site selected is in the neighborhood of Fort Greene in Brooklyn, a thriving cultural area of New York City, one of the fashion capitals of the world.