The Charlotte Fashion Scene
Yes—Charlotte has a fashion scene! For starters, the city is home to Charlotte NC Fashion Week, which showcases some of the best established and emerging designers in the city. Each year, the show proves just how fast the fashion scene is growing and how the talent pool has become increasingly competitive. The event also features vendor fairs, workshops, and other networking opportunities. This is the perfect place for aspiring fashion designers to rub elbows with the best.
In addition to Charlotte NC Fashion Week, the city is home to a large collection of boutiques, design studios, and production facilities. Upscale shopping can be found at Southpark Mall—home of Tiffany & Co., Burberry, and Neiman Marcus. Other popular places to shop are Carolina Place, which is located on the outskirts of town, and Concord Mills, which offers more than 200 stores. Ballantyne Village and Waxhaw Historic District are popular shopping districts among those in the know.
Shopping and fashion events are not the only things that draw aspiring fashion designers and merchandisers to Charlotte. The city offers access to several schools that offer fashion programs. Johnson & Wales University and the Art Institute of Charlotte are top choices.
Career Opportunities & Employers in North Carolina :
A large number of Charlotte fashion designers and fashion merchandisers work in retail, but they also work in other areas of fashion. Fashion designers can also find employment opportunities in textile design, technical production, apparel design, pattern making, and administrative sales in the textiles industry. Fashion merchandisers may also find work in promotions, buying, and visual merchandising.
Employment opportunities can be found in department stores, retail shops, textile manufacturing facilities, production studios, design studios, and corporate offices. Opportunities can be found all over the city from the heart of the city to the outskirts of town.
North Carolina Fashion Schools & Programs:
The state of North Carolina is home to 137 colleges and universities—nearly twice the national average of 88. The state has a wide variety of schools ranging from traditional to technical to art and design. In Charlotte, one art school and one traditional college offer several of the city’s most popular fashion programs. Johnson & Wales University offers a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Marketing. The Art Institute of Charlotte offers an Associate of Applied Science in Fashion Marketing, a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Marketing & Management, and a certificate in fashion retailing.
Employment and Salary Trends for North Carolina :
As of July 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had not reported salary and employment figures for Charlotte fashion designers. However, employment figures for North Carolina show that nearly 150 salaried fashion designers call North Carolina home. Hundreds more are self-employed, running their own shops or promoting their latest line. Based on the number of retail venues, fashion events, and production facilities located in and around the city, it’s safe to assume that many of these designers live and work in Charlotte.
Across the nation, employment of fashion designers is expected to grow by 1 percent between 2008 and 2018. Overall, fashion designers average around $61,160 per year. The lowest paid fashion designers average $32,150, and the highest paid salaried designers average $124,780 per year. Self-employed designers can earn much more or much less depending on the type of business or specialty.
Figures for fashion merchandisers have not been reported, but a significant part of the job involves creating window displays and managing the overall look and feel of stores. There are more than 1,000 merchandise displayers in the state of North Carolina. Around 150 live in Charlotte.
For more information about the fashion design and fashion merchandising industry, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at bls.gov.
| Number of jobs | Mean hourly pay | Mean annual pay | Job Outlook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Job |