Belk announces 31 finalists of fashion design contest

13 May '13

2 min read

For the second year in a row, Belk has issued a call for entries from talented, emerging designers and has selected 31 finalists to compete for the opportunity to have their collections sold in select Belk stores and on belk.com.

Out of the nearly 300 designer applicants, the finalists listed below will travel to Belk headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. on May 22 to present their collections to a panel of Belk judges in hopes of becoming Belk vendor partners.

“After the amazing success of last year’s Southern Designer Showcase we really felt like we needed to bring the competition back for a second year to continue showcasing talented southern designers,” said Arlene Goldstein, vice president of trend merchandising and fashion direction for Belk. “This group of finalists is so diverse yet they all capture the essence of Belk and the ‘Modern. Southern. Style.’ of our customers.”

In 2012, 15 winners were selected in the inaugural Southern Designer Showcase competition. Collections from these designers are currently available in select Belk stores and on belk.com.

A select number of the 31 designers who will present their collections will be crowned Southern Designer Showcase winners and will have their designs available in Belk stores and on belk.com in 2014. The winning designers will be notified and announced to the public during a special celebration at Belk Headquarters on June 12, 2013.

Finalists:
Ashley Anderson - Jackson, Miss.
Kari Bryde - Little Rock, Ark.
Orean Collier - Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sheree Crumpton - Fairburn, Ga.
Lori Cunningham - New York, N.Y.
Darrius Curry - Lithonia, Ga.
Hanh-Lucy Dang - Dallas, Texas
Julia Davison - Summerville, S.C.
Charlene Dunbar - Lilburn, Ga.
Jessica Fulks - Atlanta, Ga.
Heather Menzie Gressette - Columbia, S.C.
Maria Harper - Jonesboro, Ga.
Ali Howell - Atlanta, Ga.
Anne Hughes - Charleston, S.C.
Jill Johnson - Vacaville, Calif.
Chiarra Joseph - Valdosta, Ga.
Annabelle LaRoque - Columbia, S.C.
Tsvetelina McAuliffe - Concord, N.C.
Stuart McClean - Atlanta, Ga.
Heidi Murphy - Sevierville, Tenn.
Emily Papuga - Charleston, S.C.
Chantrelle (Elle) Parkinson-Cue - Raleigh, N.C.
Marie Rhodes - Starr, S.C.
Bradley Rhyne - Charlotte, N.C.
Emily Elizabeth Scott - Wilmington, Del.
Perla Segovia - Atkinson, N.C.
Diane Wallace - Knoxville, Tenn.
Regina White - Chesterfield, Va.
Rhonda Wyman - Union Mills, N.C.
Dora Yim - Richardson, Texas
Andrea Young - Woodruff, S.C.