A Fashion YEAR showcasing the organizations, retailers, and designers that make up one of the most vibrant fashion cities in the U.S.
Join us for our next 10th Anniversary events!
SAINT LOUIS FASHION FUND’s 10th ANNIVERSAY
Watch the “Speaking of Fashion” Featuring Michael Kors Below
Saint Louis Fashion Fund #10forthe10th Anniversary Celebration
Positioning Fashion for the Future
Saint Louis Fashion Fund's 10th Anniversary is not just a series of parties, fashion shows, and events. It is a year-long Campaign to spotlight and position St. Louis' fashion industry's current and future program of work as educators, collaborators, and connectors that are and will continue to make a major impact on our region's economic ecosystem.
Serving as a champion of our city's fashion industry, the Fund is the leading voice and advocate for more than 800 local fashion-related businesses and supports students, designers many of whom represent the local refugee community, emerging and established brands, and other key players who collectively generate fashion’s $3.3 billion annually in economic development for our region. We want to continue this momentum by accelerating the creation of internships and local fashion jobs to encourage our youth to stay or return to St. Louis for their fashion careers and contribute to a fashion industry/Garment District that once was second only to New York City.
The 10th Anniversary Campaign touches on every issue facing the fashion industry and our City - DEI, workforce development, job creation/retention, and especially preparing our next generation to enter the pipeline for future fashion jobs in St. Louis. It is a year filled with the glamour of fashion to help set our stage, but it will be amplified by our media partners with laser-focused messaging on "WHY ST LOUIS?" - when it comes to moving here for jobs, our ability to connect, facilitate and launch brands in the industry, and attract manufacturers and new industry-related business to our region.
Saint Louis Fashion Fund continues to be committed to playing a role in the revitalization of the Garment District Downtown. A 2017 study led by Downtown St. Louis, with participation from the Fashion Fund, will be revisited and reimagined. Plans to make this historic district "hum" with the sound of sewing, production, and design will be achieved with the collaboration of public and private partners.
Finally, the Fashion Fund's 10th Anniversary Campaign will prompt others to take a closer look at the fashion industry and understand why it is essential to our city's economic infrastructure and brand. As we continue to say: "Fashion is as important to the fabric of St. Louis as baseball and beer."
#10forthe10th Anniversary Presenting Sponsors
#10forthe10th Anniversary Industry Partners
#10forthe10th Anniversary Media Parnters
ABOUT THE SAINT LOUIS FASHION FUND
Launched in 2014, Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s (SLFF) mission was to support emerging brands and educate the public about the business of fashion and its growing impact on the region’s economy. With a goal to reclaim its status as a fashion capitol, the Fund embarked on an aggressive plan to revitalize St. Louis’ historic Garment District which at one time was “second only to NY City.”
Since then, the Fund has graduated two cohorts of six designers from its incubator formerly headquartered at 1533 Washington Avenue. Designers-in-residence received intensive training and mentorship from top-tier St. Louis business leaders, national industry professionals, as well as marketing and sales support. Four SLFF Incubator designers received Arch Grants and five of the total of 12 designers are currently scaling their businesses in St. Louis: Retta Leritz/Retta Jane, Dianne Isbell/Hats by Dianne, Emily Koplar/Summersalt, Audra Noyes/AUDRA, Everett Johnson/Liza B, and Lisa Hu/Lux & Nyx. The Fund continues to support and mentor students and designers from throughout the region.
Community programming was initiated such as “Creative Process” offering free and open forums that featured panels, networking, and hands-on activities for local creatives to showcase their brands and get advice from top-notch fashion mentors. In addition, the Fund worked tirelessly to create a future pipeline of talent for the region by providing high school and college fashion students with classes, workshops, and summer camps in collaboration with the Center for Creative Arts (COCA) which took place in the Fund’s cut and sew operation.
The centerpiece of the Fund’s community educational outreach continues to be its highly successful “Speaking of Fashion” series, in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis, which has attracted global fashion icons to St. Louis including Derek Blasberg, Victor Luis, former CEO of Tapestry, the late Andre Leon Talley, Dapper Dan, and most recently, Diane von Furstenberg who spoke to an audience of 800 at Graham Chapel on WashU’s campus, with a waitlist of 1,000. Each of these individuals spent time meeting and mentoring SLFF designers and the community at large, sharing their fashion narrative and then in turn making us a part of their conversation by sharing the vibrancy of the St. Louis fashion ecosystem on a national stage.
Building on those successes, SLFF has revised and broadened its mission and developed new programming reflecting its next stage of growth and service to the local design and creative communities. Its mission continues to support emerging brands and industry-related businesses and is laser-focused on promoting job creation and economic growth for the region. This will be accomplished by: Ongoing mentorship of local creatives; partnerships with key funders such as Arch Grants to boost fashion entrepreneurship and scholarships for aspiring designers; Continuation of SLFF ’s “Speaking of Fashion” series, and now a Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Fashion Fund with a focus on the entire fashion industry in St. Louis.
Launched in 2014, Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s (SLFF) mission was to support emerging brands and educate the public about the business of fashion and its growing impact on the region’s economy. With a goal to reclaim its status as a fashion capitol, the Fund embarked on an aggressive plan to revitalize St. Louis’ historic Garment District which at one time was “second only to NY City.”
Since then, the Fund has graduated two cohorts of six designers from its incubator formerly headquartered at 1533 Washington Avenue. Designers-in-residence received intensive training and mentorship from top-tier St. Louis business leaders, national industry professionals, as well as marketing and sales support. Four SLFF Incubator designers received Arch Grants and five of the total of 12 designers are currently scaling their businesses in St. Louis: Retta Leritz/Retta Jane, Dianne Isbell/Hats by Dianne, Emily Koplar/Summersalt, Audra Noyes/AUDRA, Everett Johnson/Liza B, and Lisa Hu/Lux & Nyx. The Fund continues to support and mentor students and designers from throughout the region.
Community programming was initiated such as “Creative Process” offering free and open forums that featured panels, networking, and hands-on activities for local creatives to showcase their brands and get advice from top-notch fashion mentors. In addition, the Fund worked tirelessly to create a future pipeline of talent for the region by providing high school and college fashion students with classes, workshops, and summer camps in collaboration with the Center for Creative Arts (COCA) which took place in the Fund’s cut and sew operation.
The centerpiece of the Fund’s community educational outreach continues to be its highly successful “Speaking of Fashion” series, in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis, which has attracted global fashion icons to St. Louis including Derek Blasberg, Victor Luis, former CEO of Tapestry, the late Andre Leon Talley, Dapper Dan, and most recently, Diane von Furstenberg who spoke to an audience of 800 at Graham Chapel on WashU’s campus, with a waitlist of 1,000. Each of these individuals spent time meeting and mentoring SLFF designers and the community at large, sharing their fashion narrative and then in turn making us a part of their conversation by sharing the vibrancy of the St. Louis fashion ecosystem on a national stage.
Building on those successes, SLFF has revised and broadened its mission and developed new programming reflecting its next stage of growth and service to the local design and creative communities. Its mission continues to support emerging brands and industry-related businesses and is laser-focused on promoting job creation and economic growth for the region. This will be accomplished by: Ongoing mentorship of local creatives; partnerships with key funders such as Arch Grants to boost fashion entrepreneurship and scholarships for aspiring designers; Continuation of SLFF ’s “Speaking of Fashion” series, and now a Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Fashion Fund with a focus on the entire fashion industry in St. Louis.
