The Saint Louis Fashion Fund
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.
