Arthur Arbit’s parents escaped communist Ukraine in the late 1970s and came to New York. They arrived in Brooklyn in 1979, and began searching for a way to make a living in their new home. The family eventually started a Laundromat.
It was here, working at his family’s business, that Arthur learned to sew by doing alternations for his parents’ clients.
Arthur studied drawing at the Arts Students League. He would go on to design clothing and posters for rock bands around New York. When he began designing his own clothes—which are made completely out of old, or vintage fabrics—he realized there were no venues for small or alternative fashion lines in the city. So he started one. Arthur gathered a group of local designers, and in 2006, started Williamsburg Fashion Weekend, a biannual event showcasing small designers who focus on sustainable fashion.
While the event attracts hundreds of spectators each year, Arthur has no intention of raising prices or attracting major sponsors. Instead, he continues what he’s been doing since he was young – tailoring for a steady stream of clients from his Brooklyn studio.
