Fabric Row in the 1920s in the heyday of the pushcart era
Courtesy of Michele Winitsky Palmer
the first wave of lockdowns, Fleishman
Fabrics immediately filed for exemption
and was deemed an essential business
by the city. They argued that because
of the personal protective equipment
shortage, materials from their store
could be used to make cloth masks.

As giants such as Amazon, Walmart
and Jo-Anne no longer stocked textiles
and elastics, Fleishman Fabrics was
able to keep its doors open.

But the fabric store has also set itself
apart due to the continued interest in
the business by Tricia Fleishman’s son,
Joshua Fleishman.

The 34-year-old joined the business
seven years ago after helping the family
move locations.

“I felt that was the right time to be a
part of things, to kind of put my spin
on where the business would head in
the future and to work alongside my
parents,” Joshua Fleishman said.

Auspitz, as well as Palmer and
Trobman, are optimistic and believe
that the new businesses are in line with
the spirit of the old. The “fabulous”
window displays in the new businesses
mirror those from generations prior.

For the Fleishmans, the changing
landscape of Fabric Row offers the pos-
sibility of new business from younger
audiences drawn to the boutiques and
restaurants that now line Fourth and
South streets. With their business
secure, the inevitable change appears
less scary.

“I can’t imagine my grandfather
standing here looking at glitter and
sequins and spandex fabrics because
back then you were in a three-piece
wool or cotton suit or linen,” Joshua
Fleishman said. “What would the first
generation of my grandparents think?
What would other merchants from
this block think of the way things are
today? It’s a very fun dynamic to be
a part of it. And in the ever-changing
landscape, we get to be a part of new
fashion.” JE
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