Last fall, the Saint Louis Fashion Fund (1533 Washington) announced the discontinuation of its Incubator program, a two-year mentorship program whose inaugural class had just graduated. Now, the organization is launching a similar program called Fashion Lab—that will “provide designers with the elements necessary to support the business and art of fashion in St. Louis”—and has revealed the eight designers selected as residents.
According to a press release, the program’s residents include: Michael Drummond, who appeared on season 8 Project Runway; Dillon Eisman founder and CEO of Sew Swag Inc.; Ronke Faleti, founder of bag company Korédé; Lisa Hu, whom SLM spoke with about leaving the world of finance to start her handbag line Lux & Nyx; Paulie Gibson, whose brand has been worn at the Grammys, VMAs, and on America’s Next Top Model; Dianne Isbell of HATS by DI-Anne; Everett Johnson, a stylist and the designer of Liza B handbags; Retta Leritz Tussey, who creates fashion for young women with Retta Jane.
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The residents were chosen by “an 11-member selection committee comprised of Fashion Fund board members, staff, and community leaders.” The committee evaluated each resident’s brand identity, business potential, and philanthropic endeavors to create a “diverse, well-rounded entrepreneurial and collaborative group of professional representatives of the various areas of the fashion industry.”
In the press release, Madeline Akins, chair of the Fashion Fund’s board of directors, explained that the program’s goal is to revitalize the historic downtown Garment District.
“The selection of these St. Louis–based fashion and design professionals, who will be under the Fund’s roof for the next year, is an exciting evolution of the Fund’s work of supporting fashion in St. Louis,” Akins said in the release. “The re-focus of the Fund’s operation will reinvigorate downtown’s garment district by creating a collaborative work space and will enable the Fashion Fund residents to make important connections in the global world of fashion.”
