Supermodel and Webster Groves native Karlie Kloss expressed gratitude for St. Louis in being the place she grew up and choosing to honor her with a ceremonial street name on April 1, 2024.
The city of St. Louis has ceremonially renamed a portion of Washington Avenue in honor of hometown supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss in the heart of the Garment District.
Kloss, who grew up in Webster Groves, arrived Monday at 16th Street and Washington Avenue, also known as Karlie Kloss Way. The actual sign with her name on it went up in 2019, but due to scheduling conflicts and the pandemic, she was finally able to “officially unveil” it about five years later.
Kloss has appeared on more than 40 international Vogue covers, hosted the reality competition television series “Project Runway,” created a coding camp for girls and runs several business ventures.
She also has two children with husband Josh Kushner, a tech entrepreneur and younger brother of Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump. Jared and Ivanka Trump both served as senior advisers to former President Donald Trump.
“This moment is so meaningful to me,” Kloss said. “My family has been proudly rooted in the Midwest for generations, and no matter how far I travel, my beloved St. Louis is always home in my heart. The spirit of St. Louis has shaped me into who I am today, so I carry those community and family values everywhere I go. It’s very full circle — and quite surreal — to forever have a part of me in my hometown.”
The street naming event was coordinated by the St. Louis Fashion Fund, an advocacy group for more than 800 fashion-related businesses. Both Kloss and fashion writer Derek Blasberg, who spoke at the event, have received the fund’s highest awards for their contributions to the fashion industry.
“The decision to name a street in Karlie’s honor was because of her continued support of the Fashion Fund, fashion and the arts. We consider her to be a St. Louis icon,” said Susan Sherman, co-founder and board chair, of St. Louis Fashion Fund.
Additionally, Blasberg, whom Kloss refers to as her “big brother,” loved the idea of the street renaming, she added.
In order to have the street renamed, the fund worked through the local alderwoman, who proposed it for a vote before the full Board of Aldermen in St. Louis. It easily passed.
The fund supports students, designers, emerging brands and established brands. Its mission is to help promote job creation and economic growth. The organization mentors local creatives and partners with funding groups such as Arch Grants to boost fashion entrepreneurship and scholarships for aspiring fashion designers.
The fund also runs a speaker series called “Speaking of Fashion” spotlighting global fashion icons who share the vibrancy of the St. Louis fashion scene into the national conversation. Fashion Fund’s goal is to bring the business of fashion back to St. Louis and regain its status as a fashion capital.
Supermodel and Webster Groves native Karlie Kloss expressed gratitude for St. Louis in being the place she grew up and choosing to honor her w…
Karlie Kloss, Derek Blasberg and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones remove a cover from a ceremonial street sign named in honor of Kloss at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024.
Karlie Kloss is honored with a ceremonial street naming at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss, left, takes a selfie with Derek Blasberg, right, and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones before the start of her ceremonial street naming at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss, center, is gifted a St. Louis City SC jersey with her name on it during the ceremonial street naming in her honor at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss, center, poses with St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, left, and Derek Blasberg beneath her ceremonial street sign at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss, right, reacts after being surprised with a Ted Drewes concrete being named after her during the ceremonial street naming ceremony in her honor at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss was surprised with a Ted Drewes concrete being named after her during the ceremonial street naming in her honor at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss, center, tries the concrete Ted Drewes named after her during the ceremonial street naming ceremony in her honor at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss takes a video of herself as the ceremonial street naming ceremony to honor her starts at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
The ceremonial street sign in honor of supermodel Karlie Kloss is officially revealed after the fabric got stuck at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
Karlie Kloss, right, speaks with Derek Blasberg, center, and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones before the start of her ceremonial street naming at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street in downtown St. Louis on Monday, April 1, 2024. Photo by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com