Harlem Tailor Looking to Train a Few Good Men

8/11/2019 Harlem Tailor Looking to Train a Few Good Men

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Harlem Tailor Looking to Train a Few Good Men

By Jeff Mays

DNAInfo Reporter!rod"#er

HARL$M % Marion Anderson is looking for a few good men to train in t&e art of 'eing a tailor(

It all started on ele#tion day w&en Anderson) w&o operates t&e Man&attan*ille Needle Trade+#&ool on t&e first floor of &is 'rownstone on ,est -.-st +treet) saw a gro"p of yo"ng men wit&

t&eir pants &anging 'elow t&eir waists &anding o"t fliers(

Did t&ey know t&at t&e style of sagging pants t&ey were wearing originated in prison) Anderson

asked/ 0es) t&ey said( B"t t&at was t&e fas&iona'le way to wear pants(

Fed "p) Anderson &ad an idea(

1I said2 3I am on a #ampaign to end t&is fad( I will tea#& any yo"ng man to design a garment t&ey#an wear properly so long as t&ey a'andon t&at style)31 Anderson said( 14"r yo"ng men need t&is

e5pos"re( T&ey &a*e a *a#""m in t&eir minds w&ere t&is prison mentality is filling in( 6lot&ing isa 'asi# need( T&ere is no reason it #an3t 'e in#orporated into yo"t& de*elopment(1

Anderson) a nati*e of 6&arleston) +(6() s&o"ld know( He ta"g&t #lot&ing man"fa#t"ring for 78

years and "sed t&e dis#ipline of tailoring as an e5ample w&en tea#&ing &is own kids(

As a &ig& s#&ool fres&man) Anderson3s mot&er insisted &e take "p a trade( Anderson #&ose

tailoring and dis#o*ered t&at &e liked it( He worked in t&e fas&ion ind"stry for se*eral years

'efore earning a 'a#&elor3s degree from Adelp&i 9ni*ersity and grad"ating from t&e 9ni*ersityof New 0ork +tate3s Ind"strial Tea#&ing Training !rogram(

Afterwards) Anderson 'e#ame t&e first Afri#an Ameri#an to 'e #ertified 'y t&e New 0ork 6ity

Board of $d"#ation as a men3s #lot&ing man"fa#t"rer tea#&er(

At &ome) Anderson "ses sewing as a way to tea#& &is kids a'o"t &ard work(

1I told t&em if yo" don3t sew) yo" don3t eat)1 Anderson said(

Two of &is fi*e kids &a*e followed &im into t&e ind"stry( 4ne son is a te5tile engineer and a

da"g&ter is a #lot&ing man"fa#t"rer representati*e( Two ot&er #&ildren followed &im into

tea#&ing and anot&er son is a New 0ork 6ity firefig&ter( $*en &is firefig&ter son learned eno"g&

to sew a pair of pants(

In -:;-) Anderson f"lfilled &is dream of opening &is own s#&ool( ,&ile t&e s#&ool &ad 'eenlo#ated at *ario"s times in t&e garment distri#t and t&e Bron5) today) it operates on t&e first floor

of &is 'rownstone) on ,est -.-st +treet 'etween +t( Ni#&olas A*en"e and Hamilton Terra#e(


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Anderson said t&e garment ind"stry is no longer 'ooming in New 0ork) as it was w&en &e started

o"t( D"ring a re#ent trip to t&e Ma#y3s men3s se#tion) Anderson said &e was "pset to see t&at none

of t&e #lot&es were made in Ameri#a(

1In t&e -:8


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+andra Beltran) 8;) an ad*an#ed st"dent w&o works in a n"rsing &ome) said s&e 'ro"g&t &er --?

year?old da"g&ter to #lass one day so Anderson #o"ld tea#& &er(

1I3m going to "se sewing to p"s& my grandda"g&ter like AndersonE did wit& &is kids)1 said

Beltran w&o &opes to "se &er skills to make e5tra money on t&e side(

+ta#ey Howard) .8) and HRA worker) li*es in t&e same Harlem neig&'or&ood w&ere Anderson3s

s#&ool is lo#ated(

1I li*ed aro"nd t&e #orner for years and ne*er saw t&is sign)1 said Howard) w&o is refining t&esewing skills &er family mem'ers ta"g&t &er as a kid( 1I wo"ld &a*e lo*ed somet&ing like t&is

w&en I was yo"nger

Anderson t&inks a lot of yo"ng people wo"ld 'e interested in learning w&at &e &as to tea#&(

T&at3s w&y at ;.) &e wants to pass &is skills on to a new generation(

1T&ere3s a part of me t&at @"st wants to s&are w&at I know)1 said Anderson( 1+imply p"t) I get

pleas"re o"t of s&aring my knowledge(1


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Harlem Tailor Looking to Train a Few Good Men

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