ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Hallways which once held the May Company’s headquarters, reborn as a fashion incubator.

It was the leading proposal out of an “IdeaBounce” held at the Railway Exchange Building by the Skandalaris Center for Enterpreneurial Studies At Washington University.

Squishy balls were tossed around, and people with contributions were given two minutes to explain their idea.

Michael Drummond, a designer on the last season of Project Runway, said St. Louis has a lot of great artists coping with a lack of direction. He supported the concept of a collective which would also involve young accountants, attorneys, computer techs, etc.

He sees a future for St. Louis.

“I think that the city kind of woke up recently and was like ‘hey, wait a second, we’ve got some pretty cool people here’ and they’re finally realizing it,” he said. “And I’m like, thank you! I agree!”

The Railway Exchange’s new owners have said they’d donate or deeply discount a chunk of space for an artists’ refuge.

Other ideas thrown out at the IdeaBounce included a fitness center and a youth art studio.

It’s appropriate, because the Macy’s on State Street in Chicago is also home to a fashion incubator.

Attendees compared the St. Louis proposal to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. Escalator connections from the Macy’s sales areas to upper floors of the building have been maintained, making a connection to an artists’ market possible.

It was even suggested that the downtown Macy’s could sell local fashions, designed in-house.

Jewlery designer Katie Miller thinks an incubator would help local designers think of expanding “outside of St. Louis.”

As for how the successful Drummond feels about his hometown:
“I think this city needs to believe in itself more often than it does.”

The top-five contributors, who could serve as leaders of the new venture, were: Cindy Cummins, Wynette Jones, Dan Reus, Ross Festenstein and Paul Wilhelms.

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