NYC Factory

“I came to the United States to live out my dream.”

Growing up, Wuilson Quezada never thought that he would own a garment factory, let alone one in New York’s iconic Garment District. Born and raised in Ecuador, he planned to pursue a career as a psychologist. As a child though, he spent many hours in his uncle’s garment factory, drawing and creating clothes. After earning his psychology degree, Wuilson realized that fashion was in fact his true calling, and decided to move to New York City to pursue his dream.

Wuilson’s journey in the fashion world thus began in 1990, when as a young 20-year-old, he arrived in the Garment District with hopes of finding work and opportunities. While he quickly found a job in a garment factory, he had bigger ambitions, and decided after a few years of hard work that it was time to start his own business; he had a clear vision for the company he wanted to develop, and needed to be in control of all major decisions to make sure he could turn this vision into reality. NYC Factory opened its doors in 1993, with Wuilson looking to create a garment manufacturing business clearly focused on innovation and growth.

“We have every type of equipment a designer would want.”

Since then, NYC Factory has been a proud leader in the apparel manufacturing industry, helping both emerging and established designers create everything from high-quality samples to full production. In the early 2000s, Wuilson quickly realized that a significant investment in technology would help him compete more successfully against international outlets, whether based in Italy, China or anywhere else in the world. Convinced that the right equipment would allow NYC Factory to move into the advanced manufacturing space and make high-quality garments faster at a lesser cost, Wuilson made the difficult decision to invest all his savings into high-performing equipment. His bet paid off, with NYC Factory quickly becoming a one-stop-shop to produce every possible type of garment and accessory. Technology has been a critical differentiating factor among a sea of competitors, as designers found significant value in working with a local manufacturer proficient in lasers, printers, heat bonding technology, UV transfers, and any other up and coming equipment.

“The Garment Center is where we need to be as fashion manufacturers.”

Despite Wuilson’s success in competing with factories abroad, he has had to face other challenges along the way. In 2019, after 25 years in the Garment District, NYC Factory had to relocate to New Jersey as the business could no longer afford such high rent. While Wuilson considered moving to Brooklyn, this would have meant being very far from the Garment District, and his team opted to move right across the river into New Jersey instead. Wuilson describes this as a temporary move and hopes to relocate the business back to the Garment District as soon as possible. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has not made matters easier, as significant orders were placed on hold, and some of NYC Factory’s clients closed shop altogether.

Yet Wuilson remains positive and views this difficult phase as an opportunity to keep innovating and target new clients, more particularly emerging ones who are eager to enter the space. NYC Factory also plans to start its own direct-to-consumer brand, NYC Blanket, which will allow designers and consumers to upload their art directly into a website in order to create custom shirts, hoodies, pants, hats, etc. With this expansion, NYC Factory will be able to target all types of customers looking to create original clothes, uniforms, or a new prints line. The service will be offered on-demand, and NYC Factory has the capacity to fulfill large orders. In parallel, Wuilson also hopes to enter the shoe space and purchase the proper equipment to do so. He worked with Kanye West on his Yeezy shoe line, and always feels inspired to continue working on a myriad of creative projects.