The strong, long-term players of the New York City fashion industry are concentrating in fewer buildings and close to each other. While the total number of firms and employees involved in fashion has declined, the remaining firms based here - including designers who occupy area offices and showrooms - are doing better than ever. The tenants of 1400 Broadway and 501 Seventh Avenue are good examples.

1400 Broadway

1400 Broadway has traditionally been and will continue to be a destination for apparel firms. With the recent launch of the property's $81-million improvements program, the building is in higher demand than ever before and its tenant base has become increasingly prestigious.

Today, the property's tenants, which include the household-name companies Jordache Enterprises and Bill Blass Jeanswear, are racking up achievements and strengthening their positions as industry leaders. For instance, DNR's December issue identified Jordache as one of the 50 best-known men's brands in the country. New full-floor tenant Excelled Sheepskin & Leather Coat Corporation posts annual sales of more than $80 million.

Castle Hill Apparel, another full-floor tenant, launched a new brand - Madison Leigh - two years ago. Initially, Madison Leigh was to be sold in 80 Federated stores (including Macy's). Today, 500 Federated stores carry it.

As other buildings shed their showroom roots, 1400 is picking and choosing the key brands around which to build its future.

501 Seventh Avenue

Tenants at the BOMA-award-winning 501 Seventh Avenue, where a $53-million-dollar renovations program was recently completed, are also enjoying successes. Shares of the fashion giant Warnaco Group, headquartered at the property, increased by 81 percent in 2007. The firm was also named one of the New York area's fastest-growing companies in Crain's 2008 Book of Lists.

Carolina Herrera Ltd., a long-term tenant of the property, won the 2004 award for Womenswear Designer of the Year from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The New York Sun described the designer's fall 2008 collection as including "beautiful day-wear" and "glamorous evening looks."

Showroom Space

Clearly, there are plenty of firms that are doing well. The problem that these firms face is a lack of quality showroom space in quality dedicated showroom buildings. So many showroom properties in the Fashion and Penn Plaza Districts are being converted into office buildings (including several by W&H itself). That's why W&H has specifically designated two of its properties as destinations - even including a supply of prebuilt showroom space - for credit-worthy fashion firms.

501 Seventh Avenue tends to be a magnet for swimwear and ladies' undergarment designers, while 1400 Broadway continues to attract firms that design and manufacture ladies' sportswear and active apparel. But the two properties share some key attributes, says Fred C. Posniak of W&H. "They each have benefited from top-to-bottom, multi-million-dollar capital improvements programs that have created upscale environments for both tenants and their buyers," he notes. "Each property meets the highest standards of quality and amenities, and is supervised by efficient and responsive on-site management teams committed to tenant satisfaction. And, as at all W&H Properties, tenant brokers who negotiate leases at the buildings receive 100% of their commissions upon signings."

He continues, "The fashion firms that have stayed strong throughout the downturn are the cream of the crop. We will always have room for such high-caliber firms at 501 Seventh Avenue and 1400 Broadway."

As with all W&H Properties, an appointment is never necessary. For more information about leasing opportunities at 501 Seventh Avenue, please contact Paul Walker of CB Richard Ellis at 212-984-7117; paul.walker@cbre.com. For information on 1400 Broadway's availabilities, please contact Michael Frantz of Newmark Knight Frank at 212-372-2203; mfrantz@newmarkkf.com.