Charleston Fashion & Design Brings a curated luxury runway experience to the Gaillard Center on October 9
October 1, 2026
Nationally recognized curator Janet Mandell joins Charleston’s design community for one elevated evening in the Grand Ballroom
Charleston Fashion & Design (CF&D) debuts Friday, October 9, 2026, with a curated luxury fashion presentation in the Grand Ballroom at the Charleston Gaillard Center. The evening brings together national, regional, and local designers for a professionally produced runway show, followed by a post-show reception for 300 guests. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the runway begins promptly at 8:30 p.m.
The presentation is curated by Janet Mandell, whose eponymous showroom, with locations in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, has dressed celebrities, stylists, and private clients. Mandell, a member of Fashion Group International and a Friend of the CFDA, will present a one-of-a-kind celebrity fashion collection alongside Charleston’s own designers.
“Charleston has the heritage, hospitality, and design sensibility to support something truly elevated,” said Janet Mandell, curator, Charleston Fashion & Design. “This is a chance to bring a polished, nationally relevant fashion moment to a city that hasn’t had one, while staying unmistakably local.”
CF&D was created to give Charleston a new cultural moment built around polished presentation, strong partnerships, and a clear sense of place. Organizers see the city as an elegant Southern counterpart to fashion capitals like New York and Miami: affluent, culturally engaged, and not yet oversaturated with fashion programming.
The show also invests in the next generation. Students from the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina will lead the evening’s volunteer team and social media, gaining hands-on production experience. The night’s soundtrack is curated by Seth Gillard.
CF&D is supported by Signature Hosts Whitley Law Firm and Accountally, along with The Wires and Maris Dehart, among other community partners. The following morning, Explore Charleston will host an invitation-only media brunch at Halls Chophouse.
Event Details
What: Charleston Fashion & Design 2026, a curated runway presentation and reception
When: Friday, October 9, 2026. Doors 7:30 p.m.; runway 8:30 p.m. National Media Brunch at Halls Chophouse by invitation, Saturday, October 10
Where: Grand Ballroom, Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Tickets: tickettailor.com/
Media: Interviews, photo access, and media credentials are available by request through Ariyanna Moore.
The Charleston Gaillard Center is home to Spoleto Festival USA, the Charleston Symphony, and the Lowcountry Jazz Festival, and welcomes more than 200,000 visitors annually. The Grand Ballroom is among the largest and most refined event spaces in Charleston, with on-site parking and walking-distance access to King Street and downtown hotels.
For more information, visit charlestonfd.com and follow @chasfashionanddesign
About Charleston Fashion & Design
Charleston Fashion & Design is a new annual fashion event created to bring an elevated cultural moment to Charleston, South Carolina. Curated by Janet Mandell, CF&D pairs a nationally recognized fashion presentation with Charleston’s own design community and hospitality culture, set within the Grand Ballroom at the Charleston Gaillard Center.
