Sara Cole
makeup, hair, styling & photog: michelle aristocrat
© 2010 Michelle Aristocrat
This was a really interesting shoot. I have been doing research on abandoned buildings/places for a few weeks now and I finally had a photoshoot in one.
(You can view Lebow's info below)
Sara and I started outside the factory... everything is fenced up now and you can see all the old coats in the trash bin outback. It's sad because you would think so many people would love those jackets; but I'm sure there is a lot of damage to them. When we went inside the basement was completely empty and dark.. you can see a couple images from the series. We did however manage to go to the second floor which was so creepy.. the building is falling apart with water damage everywhere. Unfortunately I didn't have the guts to go up to the third floor because there was too much noise that really freaked me out.
I am glad I saw this factory before it is all gone.. go check it out for yourself before they really get rid of it. It is on Oliver Street right behind the CopyCat building in Baltimore.
Lebow Clothing Factory was built in the 1930's and was the manufacturer of the high-end Lebow Clothes label, best known for its men's suits and sportcoat collection. At its peak in the 50's and 60's, it employed several thousand blue-collar workers in Baltimore until it closed its doors in 1985. The building was sold, but after sitting vacant for the last five years, the city seized the property. Currently, there is a lawsuit pending against the city over the seizure of the property.