Charlie Bennett
Hometown: Morganton, NC
Email: cmbenne3@ncsu.edu
Bio
Charlie Bennett is an up-and-coming designer with a passion for creating. He is from Morganton, Western North Carolina, and loves the outdoors and natural materials. His journey in fashion began at a young age, playing dress-up for home movies and putting together elaborate Halloween costumes. In high school, he became more interested in designer and vintage clothing, taking risks that weren’t always well received by his peers in his small hometown. This led him to buy and sell vintage clothing as one of his first side hustles. Beyond fashion, Bennett has been heavily involved in interior design, working at the same firm for over 3 and a half years. This gave him many opportunities to build his professional skills and gain insight into the industry, which overlaps significantly with the fashion-textile industry. After college, he hopes to move to New York and work for a fashion brand of any size. He also hopes to launch his own brand, Charlocity.com, later this year or early in 2027.
Collection Concept
Flaire is an enhancement that brightens the everyday, bringing beauty to the ordinary. “The devil is in the details,” and those details let us express who we truly are. Flaire helps people break free from everything that holds them back. Life is too short to repress yourself. The concept is inspired by the reflection of growing up in a small rural town in the South. This collection allows men to express themselves boldly in ways that were once taboo. It’s fueled by the designer’s desire to spread the idea that men can wear what they want, paint their nails, and ultimately live their way without scrutiny.