Lingua Franca signs 3,437 s/f lease at 307 West 36th St.

New York, NY GFP Real Estate, LLC signed Lingua Franca NYC Inc., to a short-term lease for 3,437 s/f on the fifth floor of 307 W. 36^th St. in the city’s Garment District.

Barbara Yagoda, senior managing director of GFP Real Estate, represented the landlord in this lease transaction; Jamie Jacobs of Newmark and Richard Sexton of Office Concierge represented the tenant. GFP will white-box the space and polish the concrete floors for the tenant, install a new HVAC system and furnish and install new lighting.

The space was previously occupied by Paper Outlet, Inc., a New York City-based wholesale paper distributor.

Lingua Franca creates pieces that are meant to spark conversation. Its well-known embroidery esthetic and playful use of familiar sayings has gained a loyal following since the brand’s inception in 2016. The company’s “love of traditional craft, irreverent point of view, and commitment to sustainable and ethical production,” all inform its evolving line of hand-embroidered cashmere goods (all hand-stitched by women in NYC) that are ethically sourced ready to wear.

“Lingua Franca is a wonderful example of a business that has thrived through the pandemic, creating an entirely new trend in the luxury sector with its creative, hand-stitched cashmere sweaters and accessories,” said Yagoda. “After experiencing such incredible success, the company needed additional office space to accommodate its growing team—and wanted an inspirational, loft-like space for its headquarters anchored in the Garment District.”

Lingua Franca has been featured in the likes of Vogue, T Magazine, W magazine, Glamour, ELLE, Allure and Fast Company, among others. The company has three retail locations—two in New York City and one in Palm Beach—as well as its Lingua Franca Café, a vintage food truck in Rock Center serving coffee and pastries. The company also creates handmade paper flowers, pet garments and custom charm necklaces—and offers DIY workshops and home embroidery kits for clients to create their own masterpieces at home.

Built in 1926 and known initially as Garment Wear Arcade, 307 West 36^th St. is an 18-story, 220,000 s/f classic pre-war high-rise building designed by Emery Roth. Renovated in 2012, the building features a white-marble lobby with entrances on both 36^th and 37^th Sts., respectively. The building has become home to a wide range of tenants, from notable fashion brand Rebecca Taylor to civic design firm, Urbahn Architects, as well as many non-profits such as GOOD+ Foundation and the Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City. Lingua Franca leases