Fahrenheit began when a two page spread in Women’s Wear Daily written by a new reporter, Andre Leon Talley, launched an experimental design company into the Manhattan marketplace. For the next seven years Connie Bates and partners made opulent ceramic serving pieces for such specialty stores as D.F. Sanders, Bendels, and Barneys. Their belts and jewelry were seen on models in the runway shows of Oscar de la Renta, Ann Klein and Geoffrey Beene.

In 1985 Fahrenheit New York, moving to a new location on West 31st Street, became the separate enterprise it is today. Connie Bates, a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design produced belt and jewelry collections purchased by such luxury stores as Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys, the Gorsuch and Sundance catalogs and various museum catalogs.

In 2013 Fahrenheit moved to West 39th Street joining other garment and accessory companies intent on continuing to manufacture products made exclusively in the United States.

Today, twenty five years later, Fahrenheit NY’s design focus for the collections continue to evolve with urban architectural industrial glamour still remaining the inspiration.