Buttons and Bows: A Midtown District Still Has All the Trimmings
AUGUST 12, 2010
The Bead District—also known as the Button or Ribbon District—centered around 6th Avenue and 39th Street has kept the fashion and jewelry 
industries buttoned, zipped, trimmed and tied for the better part of a century.
Amid the bustle of Midtown Manhattan, where the Diamond District meets the Fashion District, you’ll find stores whose merchandise has changed little in the past 50 years. Odd-yet-mesmerizing street-level storefronts and hidden, upper floor warrens are crammed with trimmings, buttons, beads, rings, wire, chain and clasps. There’s at least one store that only sells feathers.
Metalliferous has done more than survive the changing times. With 30,000 different beads, silver and base metal findings, books and tools on hand, it remains a go-to spot for jewelery-makers, designers, metalsmiths and commercial and hobby crafters. A vintage section features one-of-a-kind pieces, and a fully-stocked online store keeps the business current. M & J Trimming is a virtual candy store for designers and crafters, packed with enough silk ribbons, buttons, trimmings and laces to inspire a lifetime of runway hits and great ideas. Nearby, Botani Buttons, C & C Button, House of Clasps, have a loyal following from international fashion manufacturers and hobbyists, and the fashion/diamond zone overlap provides jewelry and apparel designers with the opportunity to one-stop shop.
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