By the time Shaohua Yu erected his stand at around 10 a.m., Chinatown was already bustling. Behind Mr. Yu, the New Kam Man supermarket had just rolled up its steel curtain. Mr. Yu, 61, has occupied a spot between Mulberry and Mott Streets almost every day for more than 20 years, and he has seen enough to know that hustle can no longer promise prosperity to immigrants working in Chinatown. For years, Mr. Yu was known and celebrated for traditional handcrafted sculptures: elephants, flamingos, butterflies and the like, all made from intricately folded palm leaves. His stall was almost indistinguishable from any other vendor’s: plastic bracelets for $1 each; knit caps for $5.

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Persons: Yu, Louis Vuitton Organizations: Gucci, Kam Man Locations: Chinatown, Africa, Mulberry, Mott