Established in 2014, the Saint Louis Fashion Fund aims to nurture emerging brands and revitalize the historic Garment District, restoring St. Louis as a prominent fashion capital and boosting the local economy.
I would like to extend my congratulations to the St. Louis Fashion Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the community in St. Louis. Before I share more about their initiatives, let’s take a moment to welcome their new leader.
Effective Jan 1, Becky Domyan will will lead the Fashion Fund on day-to-day activities, a strategic planning initiative and continued growth of St. Louis’ fashion ecosystem, according to a press release.
Established in 2014, the Saint Louis Fashion Fund (SLFF) was created to nurture emerging brands and raise public awareness about the fashion industry’s significance to the local economy. Aiming to restore St. Louis to its former glory as a fashion capital, the Fund initiated an ambitious plan to revitalize the historic Garment District, once regarded as “second only to New York City.”
From the website
Since its inception, the Fund has successfully graduated two cohorts of six designers from its incubator, previously located at 1533 Washington Avenue. Designers-in-residence have benefited from comprehensive training and mentorship provided by esteemed St. Louis business leaders and national industry experts, along with marketing and sales support. Four graduates from the SLFF Incubator have received Arch Grants, and currently, five out of the twelve designers are expanding 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 remains committed to mentoring students and designers across the region.
From website
The Fund has also rolled out community initiatives like “Creative Process,” which offers free forums for local creatives to network, participate in panels, and receive guidance from leading fashion mentors. Additionally, the Fund has worked diligently to cultivate future talent by offering high school and college fashion students classes, workshops, and summer camps in collaboration with the Center for Creative Arts (COCA) within the Fund’s cut and sew operation.
From website
A highlight of the Fund’s educational outreach is the acclaimed “Speaking of Fashion” series, in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis. This series has brought 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 addressed an audience of 800 at Graham Chapel, with an additional waitlist of 1,000. Each of these icons engaged with SLFF designers and the broader community, sharing their journeys in fashion and promoting the vibrancy of the St. Louis fashion ecosystem on a national platform.
From Website
In response to its successes, SLFF has refined and expanded its mission, unveiling new programs that align with its next phase of growth in serving the local design and creative communities. The Fund remains dedicated to supporting emerging brands and industry-related businesses, with a strong emphasis on fostering job creation and economic development in the region. This will be achieved through ongoing mentorship of local creatives, strategic partnerships with key funders like Arch Grants to enhance fashion entrepreneurship and provide scholarships for aspiring designers, the continuation of the “Speaking of Fashion” series, and a grand celebration of the Fashion Fund’s 10th Anniversary, highlighting the entire St. Louis fashion industry.
From the website
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