In this CIC Features video from the Costume Industry Coalition, they celebrate and proudly showcase the work and legacy of Ernie Smith, owner and founder of Penn & Fletcher, Inc. Smith and his team are masters at the craft of embroidery, which is a dying art. Penn & Fletcher is one of the last embroidery companies in New York City. Join Industry Associate Edwin Schiff as he learns about Smith’s many contributions to the industry and the incredible people and machines that create such beautiful work.
Stage Directions spoke with Smith about the work that Penn & Fletcher provide the costume industry in the June 2021 issue. You can read that article here.
The Costume Industry Coalition was created to advocate for the survival of our community beyond this crisis. The CIC launched a GoFundMe Charity page to help relieve a portion of the deficit that is faced. These funds will provide immediate assistance for the costume industry and businesses like this one. These businesses are a vital but often unseen ecosystem of artists who have been hard hit by the COVID-19 shutdowns and have gone for months without sustainable income or safety nets.
If you’d like to donate, go to: www.costumeindustrycoalition.com/donate
The CICs over 500 costume artisans and experts are involved in every aspect of the costume industry, from concept to care. Since they started, they’ve partnered with a non-for-profit fiscal sponsor, The Artisans Guild of America, and began fundraising for its Recovery Fund. They also began lobbying the government to ensure the creative economy gets the relief it needs. A year later they are still recovering but they are ALL ready to get back to work. They’ve travelled a very long road and they know they still have a long way to go. But as the entire entertainment industry is poised to begin its recovery, the support they have received has fortified them with the strength to push forward. The Costume Industry Coalition can’t thank you enough.
Further information from the Costume Industry Coalition: www.costumeindustrycoalition.com
