He’s not known as a fashion plate — but Mayor de Blasio seemed at ease with the air-kissing crowd Thursday in his first public foray into the city’s most glamorous industry.
Speaking on the first day of Fashion Week and flanked by designer Diane von Furstenberg and Theory founder Andrew Rosen, the mayor announced $3 million in grants directed at Big Apple fashion manufacturers.
Industry leaders — many of whom are close to ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg — didn’t embrace de Blasio during the mayoral campaign. But the lanky mayor, dressed in a crisp gray suit with a vibrant purple tie, seemed in his element all the same.
He pronounced the Belgian-born von Furstenberg’s first name the European way, “Dee-ahhn,” and thanked designer Nanette Lepore — who sat in one of the front rows — for designing the dresses that his daughter Chiara and wife Chirlane McCray wore to the inauguration.
“They looked resplendent in your beautiful designs,” he said.
The mayor also referenced his roots in the industry.
He pointed out that his grandmother and her family started a dress-making shop when they came to New York from Italy. It was on Fifth Ave., not far from the Garment Center spot where he appeared Thursday.
The reminiscence prompted the fur-clad von Furstenberg — who kept her dark sunglasses on throughout the press conference — to exclaim, “You’re one of us!”
Von Furstenberg — who supported former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in the primary — said afterward it was the first time she had met de Blasio.
“I thought he was attractive, nice, funny. Divine!” she exclaimed.
The designer, who created the iconic wrap dress 40 years ago, said she switched out of her snowproof shoes and into heels right before the start of the press conference to avoid appearing too petite next to the 6-foot-5 mayor.
De Blasio said the city grants will help small businesses in the industry stay in their traditional home base of New York.
“The goal of this initiative . . . (is) to strengthen the fashion industry in this city,” he said. “This is a strategic, important matter for the people of New York to strengthen this sector.”
The industry employs 180,000 people in the city and pays out nearly $11 billion in wages.
“That’s real money where I come from,” de Blasio said.
The grants, part of the public-private Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, will go to seven small businesses that make and design clothes in the city.
Funds will be used for infrastructure upgrades, worker training and state-of-the-art production equipment.
De Blasio’s announcement comes a day after he met with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, the British-born grande dame of American fashion.
He does not plan on attending any Fashion Week parties, but McCray — who in addition to Lepore favors designer Anni Kuan — might, a spokeswoman said.
