Saint Louis Fashion Fund (SLFF) was co-founded in 2014 by Susan Sherman, Tania Beasley-Jolly, Sharon Tucci, Elizabeth Tucker and a dedicated board, who envisioned an organization that would support emerging designers and promote fashion education and outreach in Saint Louis City, thereby revitalizing its Garment District and growing St. Louis’ impact on the fashion industry. SLFF serves as a fashion retail and education hub for the local design community as well as a catalyst for attracting full-scale garment manufacturing and production to downtown St. Louis.

In January 2017, SLFF launched a class of six emerging designer businesses and began programming for the community, students, and local designers. The inaugural designers have completed the two-year intensive business and fashion education program and are looking forward to exciting new ventures in the coming year both inside and beyond St. Louis.

Building on that success, SLFF revised and broadened its mission and developed new programming for 2019 that reflects its next stage of growth and service to the local design and creative communities. Saint Louis Fashion Fund is the leading voice and advocate for the fashion industry in St. Louis. Its mission is to support emerging brands and industry-related businesses to help promote job creation and economic growth for the region. This will be accomplished by: The Fund's active mentorship of local creatives; Partnerships with key funding organizations such as Arch Grants to boost fashion entrepreneurship/scholarships for aspiring fashion designers; Continuation of the Fund's "Speaking of Fashion Speaker Series" spotlighting global fashion icons who in turn share the vibrancy of the St. Louis fashion ecosystem into the national conversation; Ongoing focus of the Fund's original dedication to bringing the business of fashion back to St. Louis and regaining its status as a fashion.