David Lee

David’s work is at the intersection of dance wear, knit technology, and plant based fibers. He started his design and knit manufacturing company in the South Bronx over 30 years ago and sold through his downtown Manhattan retail store in Noho, e-commerce web site and other retailers worldwide. Building on his experience in apparel, small business management, and dance, David is building a new vision for New York: an innovative fiber development hub.

Starting with Vegetable Cashmere, a new fiber David has developed and worked with for the past decade, made from by-products of tofu and soy production, KD Knit aims to establish a hub for innovative materials, based in Hunts Point near the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market. David envisions this R&D and manufacturing space can develop a range of plant based materials made from plant waste and byproducts, putting NYC back on the map as a garment and fashion capital.