With models dressed in glittering gowns topped with fox fur stoles draped around their necks as a blinding sun drains light from the room, Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2013 fashion show certainly demonstrates that fashion is truly fantastical.  We so often just see the finished product.  But, what are the more quotidian tasks that facilitate the creation of the magnificent pieces from Marc Jacobs’ show?

This past month, NPR followed designers Ann Yee, Daniel Vosovic, and Nanette Lepore to understand the inner workings of New York City’s historic Garment District.  Since the early 20th century, the Garment District has been the center for fashion manufacturing and design for the United States, and even the world.  Concentrated into less than one square mile and stretching from 34th to 42nd Street, the Garment District is an integral, ever-changing, and sometimes contested part of the fashion industry.

Click here to hear “New York’s Grimy Garment District Hatches Designers’ Dreams” on NPR’s All Things Considered.