There’s a new business breathing life into the old Central Hudson building at 391 Main Street Catskill. But Made X Hudson is not your traditional boutique – it’s a maker space.
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought supply chain issues to light, Made X Hudson cofounders Eric de Feo and Sergio Guadarrama floated the idea of creating a small-scale garment factory in the Hudson Valley. After a brief stint in Leeds, they settled at their Main Street location.
Facing a clothing market inundated with mass-produced goods often shipped from overseas, Eric and Sergio hoped to provide an ethical, sustainable, and local alternative. To keep production accessible for even the smallest of designers, Made X Hudson has a production minimum of 24 pieces of a single style.
Made X Hudson assists independent designers with every step of the production process: from turning sketches into prototypes, to sourcing materials, to producing the garments, to helping market the products.
The shop, which is shared with CoProsperity Catskill, features designs that are produced in the upstairs workshop, as well as other local goods. Eric and Sergio also hold classes and events in the space, including clothing swaps and mending nights.
They each bring a unique set of skills to the team: Sergio, with nearly 20 years of fashion industry experience and a bachelor’s from Fashion Institute of Technology, has his own fashion brand, Celestino Couture. Eric, who earned a Master’s in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, has experience in developing and managing startups. He founded the Hudson Community Incubator, a small business solutions network based in the Hudson Valley.
To date, Made X Hudson has worked with more than 50 brands and has a staff of six people. Sergio provides on-the-job training and has even sponsored internships for Catskill High School students.
“This could really be a catalyst for a larger regional and national conversation because we are really only one of a small handful of small batch factories in the country.” Eric said.
And if you find yourself hungry, there’s a great Japanese bento box outlet right in the same space! find out more about KU KI on social media.
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Topics: Success Stories
