Design Identities will celebrate five Black Design alumni who have been influencers in their fields. Students from each department will conduct one on one interviews with an alumnus in their field to learn about their successes as designers and to encourage the next generation of students, especially BIPOC students, with an introduction to and an interest in design. 

Interviews, portfolios of work, and backgrounds on each designer will be released weekly throughout February and the first week of March on the College of Design’s social media channels and on a dedicated webpage. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see information on a new designer each week.  Additional information can be found by visiting the Design programs website. Additional information can be found by visiting the College of Design’s website.

Born in Lincolnton, NC, Charles developed an early interest in fashion while observing the transformative impact that clothing had on his mother’s persona. Charles studied fine arts, painting, and textiles at North Carolina State University’s College of Design, where his curriculum was based largely on the modernist movement—an aesthetic code he continues to employ. Following graduation, Charles spent a year abroad studying Central Asian textiles. His next move brought him to New York, where he enrolled in the fashion program at Parsons School of Design.

Charles began his professional career as a textile designer before moving on to womenswear at Michael Kors. He continued with stints at Luca Luca and Billy Reid, producing both womenswear and accessories. Charles launched his collection, HARBISON, in NYC in 2013, with womenswear, menswear, and accessories exploring the designer’s central themes: ease, modernity, art, and gender.

Having dressed the likes of Beyoncé, Solange, & Ava Duvernay, and design-directed designer & contemporary brands alike (i.e. Ungaro in London, Cult Gaia & NICHOLAS in LA), Charles continues to build HARBISON in Los Angeles.