Statistically, becoming a fashion designer seems next to impossible when you compare the large number of ambitious creatives with the modest number of fashion giants. In comes Charleston Fashion Week’s^® (CFW) Emerging Designer Competition: East (EDC:E), which has now—in its seventh year—become a highly anticipated platform for discovering new talent.

Hannah Goff, a SCAD graduate, is one of the discovered, having entered and won 2012’s EDC:E. Since then, she has been featured in NYLON Magazine, ELLE.com, The Daily, and recently was selected as a finalist in the Belk Southern Designer Showcase. Next March, the NYC resident is returning to CFW as a Featured Designer and there’s already buzz about her collection. Style director Ayoka Lucas reconnected with Hannah during New York Fashion Week and later chatted about everything from future collections to her personal style.

AL: Describe your own style. What is your favorite item in your wardrobe?
HG: My personal style is pretty basic. I love neutral colors and black and white, but I do like to throw a crazy print in the mix when I can, especially when it’s my own. I wear classic silhouettes and I love to layer—lots of skinny jeans and form fitting skirts paired with blousy tops. My favorite item in my wardrobe is my black leather jacket. 

AL: If you were granted three fashion wishes, what would they be? 
HG: Number one, a successful label sold in boutiques and stores worldwide. Number two, the most amazing and talented support team, and three, for my brand to still exist after I am dead.

AL: What is your fall must-have item?
HG: I recently saw Dr. Martens that have a 3.5-inch heel. I can’t pull off the originals, but I would definitely get a pair of those in black.

AL: When you look back at your win at CFW 2012, what are your thoughts?
HG: I have the fondest memories of CFW. The whole experience was kind of like a vacation for me. I had just gotten through the high stress, panic mode of finishing my collection, so when I arrived in Charleston, I was able to relax. I enjoyed meeting all the designers, working with the models, and getting to know new contacts. I came away from CFW not only with a lot of exposure, which I am so grateful for, but also with some great new friends.  

AL: What direction is your collection going for Fall 2013? 
HG: I am working on the idea of human vs. nature—how we have taken for granted the beauty of our natural world and the effects of pollution, waste, deforestation, and over-fishing.

AL: What’s next for your label? 
HG: I will start to have clothes in multiple stores by next fall, hopefully. Belk is producing four dresses of mine for spring 2013, so that’s a huge start. I’m looking to reach a larger market and working out production and logistics.

AL: What advice would you give an aspiring CFW Emerging Designer? 
HG: I would say go out there and create a collection that you love. I was absolutely in love with mine, and that attitude was reflected in the final product. Put something different and inspiring out there, and people will notice and appreciate it.  

Don’t miss your opportunity to apply for the Emerging Designer Competition: East taking place at Charleston Fashion Week^® from March 19-23, 2013. Click here to apply now—the deadline is October 10! 

For more CFW Emerging Designer success stories, click here.

For more on Hannah, click here.