Keeping up its streak of attracting top-shelf talent, the Saint Louis Fashion Fund has lined up Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon for its annual speaker series.
The New York-based fashion designer will have plenty of insights and intel to share, and it will be a doubleheader so to speak. The program will start with a talk by Gordon, and then he will sit down for a Q&A with St. Louis native Derek Blasberg, a journalist and author. The pair will be at ease, having known one another for more than 20 years. The “Conversation With Wes Gordon” marks the third fireside chat with Blasberg, who has been instrumental in helping his hometown raise its fashion profile each year.
The Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s “Speaking of Fashion” series is in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis and Caleres. Tickets for the Nov. 18 “Speaking of Fashion” series will be available starting at noon on Sept. 18. Open to all, the hourlong event is expected to attract 800 guests at the Graham Chapel at WashU. Those, who don’t venture out, can tune into the livestream to catch every last word that Gordon and Blasberg have to say.
Previous headliners at “Speaking of Fashion” have been Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg both of whom connected with the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, thanks to Blasberg. The late fashion journalist André Leon Talley also made the trip to St. Louis years ago. Gordon has personal ties to the Midwest, since he hails from Chicago.
Announcing the guest of honor, Blasberg said he remembers Gordon’s arrival in New York nearly two decades ago, and how he has “watched with wonder as he has taken the realms of this historic house and taken it to new heights.”
Gordon will also be honored with the Saint Louis Fashion Fund Award, which is presented to individuals, who are making major contributions in fashion. With that accolade, he will join the ranks of Kors, von Furstenberg, Talley, Dapper Dan, Iris Apfel and Karlie Kloss. The SLFF is a nonprofit that advocates for more than 800 fashion-related businesses and it supports students, designers and both the emerging brands as well as the established brands that generate more than $7.7 billion annually to the region’s ecosystem. Job creation and economic growth is the impetus.
Hours before his talk in November, Gordon will have lunch with a group of Missouri fashion students, who will be able to share their designs, get his input and glean some of his advice. Gordon also plans to extend his stay in St. Louis by a day to attend a trunk show and luncheon at Neiman Marcus on Nov. 19. The store’s vice president and general manager Daniel Kramer serves on the Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s board.
Gordon said, “I’m honored to be part of this extraordinary program, which for over a decade has served as a leading platform for creatives to connect with local designers, students and people interested in fashion.”
