NYC: the heart and home of Hilandel
Founder Hillary O’Dell Shares 7 Reasons Why New York City is The Home of Hilandel
Queue Dorothy: “There’s no place like home.” For me, there’s no place like New York City. This city isn’t just a huge part of my heart, it’s a part of the soul of Hilandel. Hilandel was born out of the desire to create unique and special pieces, to use the best materials possible, and to give back to the city that has given me so much. Sourcing and making our designs in NYC brings that dream to life.
Lifting up Local Makers
As a creator myself, I have a deep appreciation for local makers. In NYC, nearly everywhere you look you find cool and interesting people making cool and interesting things. Supporting local businesses secures jobs for the local community, which also fuels my own business. Hilandel cannot exist without the people who sell the fabric and sew my designs. They help make each bride’s vision a reality.
2. Supporting the Garment District
Speaking of local, the Garment District is a New York City institution with a long history of supporting small brands, especially those who do not have an in-house atelier. Located in the heart of Midtown, the Garment District is home to 6,500 businesses and 75,000 employees across major fashion houses, showrooms, and people dedicated to every aspect of the design process. Everything that I rely on for the custom process is right at my fingertips in the Garment District.
3. Accurate to the Last Detail
In the custom process, every detail matters. By keeping each aspect of my business local, I am able to be very involved in each step of the process. This allows me to have more control on behalf of my clients and also reduces the risk of miscommunication and errors along the way.
4. Moving and Shaking
Brides are always surprised how quickly I can turn their dress around. Because I source all materials and work with makers locally in NYC, I can turn a dress around as quickly as 8 weeks. We aren’t held up by labor delays in the process because everyone we work with is in the same time zone; in fact we’re located within minutes of one another. Because of this, I am able to respond to new information quickly. If there is a hiccup in the construction or an issue with the fabric, I can visit the fabric vendor and the seamstresses work room right away.
5. Working Together and Building Together
Given the nature of how closely we all work together, I have created close relationships with the people I work with. For the work rooms, the garment isn’t just another order. It’s much more personal. Each dress is named after each bride and we all refer to it that way.
6. What You See is What You Get
I love fabric shopping. I get to touch and feel materials in person and then buy them on the spot. I am looking at what I am going to buy. With samples, it can be hard to get the full picture. Sometimes you order off of a sample swatch and when it arrives, the material isn’t what you expect it to be. I always know exactly what I am getting and am able to deliver exactly what each bride wants.
7. Supporting What Matters
With the control of having my own business, I am proud to use it as a platform to support issues that matter to me, specifically ethical working conditions and making choices that are better for the environment.
Every piece of clothing hanging in your closet is made by a human being. Unfortunately, many of the people working in factories in the fashion industry, specifically for fast fashion companies and overseas, are subject to deplorable working conditions.
I fully understand that at its core clothing is a functional necessity and it's important to produce clothing at accessible price points. The problem is the billion dollar companies exploiting their workers and polluting the environment with mass production and consumption of clothing that is being treated as disposable.
Because I am so close to my process, I witness first-hand the ethical working conditions of the people creating each Hilandel design. And, with a shorter supply chain, buying and working locally is also better for the environment. We’re reducing transportations and the CO2 emissions associated with transportation required in longer supply chains. Our brides can feel confident in knowing their gown was made ethically and in a way that is better for the environment.
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