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2024 | America's Master Glovemaker | Daniel Storto designs Haute Couture and Ready to Wear gloves. "The Haute Couturier of Glove Makers" - Hamish Bowles - VOGUE "Daniel Storto is to hands what Manolo Blahnik is to feet" - Cathy Horyn Daniel Storto has collaborated with fashion designers such as Geoffrey Beene, Ralph Rucci, Alexander McQueen, Dries Van Noten, Thom Browne, Emilia Wickstead, Alexander Wang, Zac Posen, Prabal Gurung, Adeline Andre, Isaac Mizrahi, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Dion Lee, Duckie Brown, Bob Mackie, Perry Ellis, La Quan Smith, Derek Lam, Vera Wang, Proenza Schouler, Diane von Furstenberg, J. Mendel, Timothy Everest and Paul Smith. The Anna Wintour Costume Center at the esteemed Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto have made his work a part of their permanent collection. Follow on Instagram Men's Collection @mrdanielstorto Women's Collection @stortogloves

Spring 2016 | Gloversville Today

At one time there were over 750 glove factories going at it full tilt boogie. Some of these buildings are monumental in scale [Zimmer's Gloves pictured above was a manfacturer of gloves and mittens] while others were as small as doll houses. They are scattered throughout Gloversville. I drove around town and took these images. It wasn't easy. I kept thinking about the many people that flocked here for work. And then the industry was over. Today most of the glove factories are either boarded up or abandoned all together. 
And now I am here and they are not. 
This is a sorrowfully beautiful story.

One of my favorite glove factories is the Daniel Hayes Glove Company. They began producing fine men's and women's gloves in 1854. Their dress gloves were beautifully made and their selections of leather were of the highest quality primarily mocha suedes. Today it stands alone, frightened amidst a rich history that America left behind.
Original interior image sewing room of the Daniel Hayes Glove Factory.

When I arrived in Gloversville back in 2000 with my 1 year old son Andre I found my way to Frank Vertucci's glove shop. Once a week we would visit Frank. His glove factory was filled to the brim from glove boxes to leather to labels and pretty much everything you needed to run a successful glove firm. Frank was primarily a smart businessman. He knew how to make gloves but, he left that to his employees. He was a big gun in this city. Always sitting in his office with a big fat cigar perched on his lips. He was a great guy with some terrific stories. He made my son Andre laugh a lot.

One of the saddest stories is Fownes Brothers & Company. Founded in 1777 and America's largest producer of men's, women's and children's gloves. When I arrived I managed to convince the owner of this building at the time to allow me inside so I could feel the energy of what once was. He let me in but he did not follow. The building is filled with pigeons. I walked every floor and every inch of it while pigeons flew above me. I now call it the bird house.

Rear view of Fownes Brothers & Company

Rear entrance of Fownes Brothers & Company

Louis Meyers & Son. One of the most elegant glove buildings in all of Gloversville. This glove company also produced dress gloves for men, women and children. Today the building exterior is boarded up and used for storage.

Side view entrance of Louis Meyers & Son

At one time this was the side entrance for the glove workers. 

Rear view of Louis Meyers & Son. This gives you an idea of the scale of this building. Impressive and sad at the same time.

Original image of Louis Meyers & Son. This was a large glove firm that employed well over a thousand people from designers to table cutters and finishers. This image is proudly displayed in my glove shop in downtown Gloversville.