In 1996, New York’s Garment Center was accessorized: Adjacent to the district’s informational kiosk, a Volkswagen Beetle-sized button and needle sculpture standing over 30 feet tall was erected. Designed by architect James Biber, the button—had it not had its outsized dimensions—could have very well been sourced from nearby M&J Trimming, the beloved notions emporium frequented by New Yorkers wanting to beribbon, bedazzle, and bepearl their wares. Opened in 1936, M&J Trimming was part of the fabric of the city’s Garment District, a stalwart storefront of the neighborhood that’s been diminishing as the rise of overseas garment production continues to tick upwards.
After nearly 80 years in business, this month, M&J will close its doors. You could argue you’re not a true “fashion person” unless you’ve made the pilgrimage to M&J: clotheshorse and native New Yorker Lady Gaga even immortalized the trim stores in her 2011 “ Marry the Nigh t” video. And it’s practically a rite of passage for fashion students and young designers.
At the back of the store on 6th Avenue and 37th Streets, a room was packed with a delightfully overwhelming assortment of buttons of every color, size, and fabrication, an experience not unlike the final day of Yayoi Kusama’s spot-filled The Obliteration Room at the Tate Modern. Elsewhere, miles of ribbon, beaded trims, and tassels were neatly organized by category. Clean and bright, well-stocked and dazzlingly arranged, M&J always .