Chris Benz
Fashion designer

Résumé: Parsons School of Design grad (2004); intern at Marc Jacobs Collection; on J.Crew design team; designer and creator of his eponymous collection (2007), which is available in stores throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East; an Industry Mentor for the Fashion School at Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, Georgia

In Print: The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, and international editions of Marie Claire, Glamour, and InStyle

Accolades: “Emerging Designer Award” from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (2004), Pantone Award “Best Use of Color By A Designer” by WGSN

Lindsey Carter
Fashion designer

Résumé: Fashion Institute of Technology grad; on design team at J.Crew and Mickey Drexler’s Madewell 1937 (2004-2006); designer and creator of Southern women’s contemporary line TROUBADOUR (2009), which is available at high-end boutiques across the country as well as in Japan

In Print: WWD, Charleston, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Q, GLOW, JILLE, GISELe, In RED, and P.S.

Accolades: WWD “Designer to Watch” (2010), CFW Emerging Designer (2009) Southeast finalist

Lives: Charleston

Favorite Designers: Isabel Marant, Nicholas Ghesquière, Alber Elbaz, and Phoebe Philo

Mychael Knight

Fashion designer

Résumé: Designer of women’s-wear label Mychael Knight, men’s furnishings label Monsieur, and a new bridal collection debuting at Charleston Weddings Spring Bridal Show 2012; creator of unisex fragrance MAJK; third runner-up and “Fan Favorite” of Bravo’s Project Runway season three


Appearances: Fashion commentator for the BET Hip Hop Awards and the BET Awards (2006 and 2007), juror on CFW Fashion Panel (2008 to present) and for SCAD Style (2008-2010)


Accolades: Tomorrow’s Designer from Fashion Institute of Technology/Fashion and Art Exchange, Phoenix Award from the city of Atlanta

Lives: Atlanta

Favorite Designers: Gianni Versace, Elie Saab, Cushnie et Ochs, Hakan Yildirim, and Karl Lagerfeld

Fern Mallis
Host of 92Y lecture series “Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis” and Fashion Insiders on SiriusXM Stars

Résumé: Widely credited as the creator of Fashion Week in NYC; IMG’s global fashion ambassador, creating and organizing fashion events around the world; host of lecture series, “Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis,” at New York’s 92nd Street Y, with guests such as Calvin Klein and Norma Kamali; host of Fashion Insiders talk show on
SiriusXM's celebrity talk channel, Stars

Appearances: Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, She's Got the Look, and The Fashion Show. In January 2012, Fern made her stage debut in the Off-Broadway production of Nora & Delia Ephron’s Love, Loss & What I Wore.

Vanessa Lachey
Model, actress, and co-host of the ABC series Winter Wipe Out

Résumé: Host of ABC reality show True Beauty; New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight, reporting on music, film, television, and fashion; co-host for MTV’s Total Request Live; co-host of the 2007 Miss Universe Pageant; judge for the 2003 and 2007 Miss Teen USA pageants; and backstage correspondent for the 50th annual Miss USA Pageant in 2001

Appearances: Guest star on CBS’s Hawaii Five-O and NBC’s 30 Rock (2011), as well as WB’s Maybe It’s Me (2002), CBS’s That’s Life (2001), and NBC’s City Guys (2001)

K. Cooper Ray

SocialPrimer.com founder and designer of Social Primer bow ties for Brooks Brothers

Résumé: Founder of SocialPrimer.com, a manners and style blog; brand ambassador of Dom Perignon (1999-2001); global VP of PR and events for Bottega Veneta (1996-1999)


Accolades: One of Charleston magazine’s “Charleston’s Most Stylish” (March 2011) and Angeleno magazine’s “Top Ten Men of Style” (March 2010)


Lives: Charleston

Favorite Designers: Duckie Brown, Charlotte Hess, and Oscar de la Renta

Cameron Silver
Founder and co-owner of Decades and Decades Two.1

Résumé: Co-owner of Decades vintage and haute consignment boutique in Los Angeles (since 1997), serving celebrity clientele such as Julianne Moore, Selma Blair, and Charlize Theron; creative consultant to Azzaro, Samsonite, Costume National, Pringle, and Boucheron; collaborator on Haskell for Decades’ Uptown/Downtown jewelry collection; collaborator with Modern Vintage on a new shoe collection due out this month

Appearances: E! Entertainment, the Style Network, and
Fashion File on Canada’s CBC network

Anne Slowey

ELLE magazine fashion news director

Résumé: W magazine accessories editor; freelance producer for runway shows and special events at KCD Worldwide; Ultima II director of creative communications; Vogue associate beauty editor; public relations coordinator at Prescriptives


Appearances: Judge on Bravo’s Project Runway seasons one and two, host/judge on CW’s Stylista (2008)