Project Design in St. Louis tonight

Hello. 

Last night Nina Ganci, creator of SKIF international partnered with us to do a dinner for designers. We had Project Runway designers Laura Kathleen, Michael Drummond, Casanova and Viktor Luna, and local designers Paul Gibson and Anna Friss, come together for an intimate dinner with our 2013 Project Design designers. 

It was magical.

We all sat around the beautiful backyard of the new Heirloom Room (that has the most amazing greenhouse!), and the designers all swapped stories about where they started, where they are and where they hope to be. 

The local designers, including Nina, spoke to how Saint Louis Fashion Week and ALIVE magazine have supported them, and in some cases, shaped them. A few tears were shed, as we all reflected on what an amazing community that we’ve built over the last decade. The younger designers shared their fears and dreams, and the more established designers encouraged them to “stay true to themselves,” and to “connect genuinely with their customers." It was humbling and inspiring to watch this exchange.

These connections, this work, the sparks that have only just begun – are possible – because of all of you. We dreamed, we have jumped, and we are only just beginning to see where we might go from here. 

I am honored to call you my colleagues and friends. I am so proud of the community we have built so far. And when I pick Fern up today I can’t wait to share with her our city, and our community.

Love, 

Elizabeth