Schmatta: Rag

Now-a-days, it takes someone with an abundance of hope and high spirits to not get affected by all the news about the economy and how it’s continuing to take a turn for the worst. We as Americans (and especially as young people) love to enjoy the luxuries of life… clothes, cars, clothes, food, clothes...did I say clothes??? And when jobs move elsewhere and getting the bare minimums puts sweat on your brow, it only adds to the overall spirit of the country. NYC, the fashion mecca of the world, has not been exempt from these depressing times. Emmy-Award winning director Marc Levin explores the state of the infamous garment district in New York, and compares it to the prosperity of its past in his documentary Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags.

According to urbandictionary.com (I know…lousy source), Schmatta is “used to describe something of lower quality”. Elsewhere it is said to mean rags, and people referred to the clothing industry as the “rag trade” or “schmatta trade”. As with most words, I’m sure the meaning lost most of its negative connotation, but I’m sure what most people were not anticipating to lose was the thousands of jobs in the city that never sleeps and the industry that is constantly evolving.



At the HBO premiere, fashion heavy weights Anna Sui and Nanette Lepore came to support Levin and bring more awareness to the shrinking garment district. Although the overall tone of the movie doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy, the premiere attendees still socialized and tossed out diets with plates of turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce. For those who enjoy fashion and all that that involves I believe this will be something to add to your “must sees” list. Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags premieres on HBO Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 at 9pm.


-Doni W.