Chess is getting uniforms

Take a look at any sport around the world from football to badminton, and they all have uniforms. However, chess, one of the oldest and most competitive sports, has gone this long without uniforms. That's about to change.

With the help of the World Chess Hall of Fame, the Saint Louis Fashion Incubator's (SLFI) inaugural class will compete in *Pinned! A Designer Chess Challenge* to create the world's first official chess uniform. The winning design will be revealed on August 1, 2017 at Windows on Washington, adjacent to the new SLFI in Saint Louis's historic Garment District, during the opening ceremonies for the Sinquefield Cup, a prestigious international chess tournament being held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The winner will receive a 10,000 dollar cash scholarship.

"Chess has grown to have a very large, competitive presence in Saint Louis – truly shining a global spotlight on the venue, players and competitions that call Saint Louis home," said World Chess Hall of Fame chief curator Shannon Bailey. "Similarly, Saint Louis' historic garment district was once second to only New York as the largest in the country. We're thrilled to help the Saint Louis Fashion Fund rebuild what was once a booming industry in our city – starting with this unique designer chess challenge that represents the intersection of these two worlds."

Handpicked by a panel of industry professionals, the SLFI's inaugural class consists of six emerging designers from around the country including Agnes Hamerlik of Chicago, Illinois, Allison Mitchell of Dallas, Texas, Audra Noyes of New York, New York and Wilmington, Delaware, Charles Smith II of Dallas, Texas, Reuben Reuel of Brooklyn, New York, and Emily Brady Koplar of Saint Louis, Missouri.

"The Saint Louis Fashion Fund and Pinned! competition couldn't have surfaced at a better time," said board chair of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, Susan Sherman. "The city's art, music, chess and fashion scenes are all evolving at once. We're in the midst of modern renaissance, and it's very exciting. The designers participating are so uniquely talented – and the designs they are creating are out of this world."

The final garments will be presented to a panel of judges including New York-based designer Timo Weiland, Abbey Samet, director of global forecasting at Macy's, Debra Bass, St. Louis Post-Dispatch fashion editor and grandmaster Eric Hanse.

"The existence of local fashion incubators is so important for the growth of the national fashion industry—creatively and economically," said Weiland. "I'm especially glad to see it happening in a place like Saint Louis where the intersection of the classic sport of chess and fashion is being explored."

SLFI participant and Saint Louis-native Emily Brady Koplar added: "I'm excited to be a part of a project that impacts both the international stage of chess and St. Louis. This collaboration with the World Chess Hall of Fame will help demonstrate that St. Louis is home to great design and it has the potential to change the way people look at the city and the sport on a global level."

In January 2017, Eric Johnson, former New York City Economic Development Corporation Vice President for Fashion & Arts launched the SLFF as a way to bring fashion-related jobs back to the city.

hoto: via PR Newswire