The Saint Louis Fashion Fund recently announced the inaugural class of its Saint Louis Fashion Incubator, slated to open downtown in January. The six designers include:
• Donald Charles Smith Brame II of Dallas: Smith II
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• Agnes Hamerlik of Chicago: Hamerlik
• Emily Koplar of St. Louis: Wai Ming
• Allison Mitchell of Dallas: Allison Mitchell
• Audra Noyes of New York and Wilmington, Delaware: AUDRA
• Reuben Reuel Riddick of Brooklyn: Demestik by Reuben Reuel
A panel of leading industry professionals chose the designers from a pool of 43 applicants across 11 states and 16 cities.
“I am so thrilled and grateful to be a member of the inaugural class,” says Koplar, who was also named to SLM‘s Best Dressed List in 2012. “I am honored to represent St. Louis, alongside the talented designers coming from across the country to participate in this program.”
When the six designers begin a two-year residency program on January 2, they will receive free room to work in a 7,500-square-foot space on Washington Avenue, financial support, business curriculum and mentorship from an advisory council, access to sampling and manufacturing, top-line sales opportunities, and support from area businesses.
The incubator will be led by Eric Johnson, the former New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Vice President for Fashion & Arts. His goal is to revive the Garment District and the fashion industry in St. Louis, in addition to providing education and outreach to the rest of the community.
“As a native St. Louisan, I’m thrilled to be working on a project that adds to this story of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that is currently unfolding in the city,” he says. “It’s a truly exciting time to be launching the incubator.”
As Koplar says, “Hopefully, the energy and support the incubator has already gained are representative of how successful it will be in establishing St. Louis as a fashion hub of the Midwest and bringing fashion-related jobs back to the city.”
