Spartanburg Fashion Week returns Thursday for its fourth annual run, with a Hollywood-inspired theme spanning venues across the city through Sunday. Saturday’s main runway show will honor hometown designer Kitty Black Perkins, who created Mattel’s first Black Barbie doll.
The October 15–18 program brings film-inspired fashion events to Spartanburg, South Carolina, according to FOX Carolina. Executive director Contessa “Tess” Thompson founded the event four years ago. A 2023 runway at the Downtown Spartanburg Airport, called “Fashion Takeoff,” was among the event’s previous productions at unconventional local venues, according to the City of Spartanburg's Facebook page.
Film, Fashion and Local Design
The program begins Thursday with “opening credits,” a digital premiere broadcast live on Instagram and YouTube, FOX Carolina reports. On Friday, the Spartanburg Art Museum hosts the Director’s Cut exhibition from 7 to 10 p.m. Its theme is Black Art. Black Film. Black Fashion., with three designers creating fashion installations inspired by Black cinema, the station reports.
Styles by TV, Standard Beauty and KKUNDA are developing interactive installations inspired by films including Sinners and B.A.P.S., alongside a Wakanda-themed Afrofuture presentation, according to the Spartanburg Art Museum's event listing. FOX Carolina reports that T. Vaughn of Styles by TV is interpreting Sinners and Standard Beauty is taking on B.A.P.S. Kisha McCartha will host the showcase, the station reports.
The Saturday Runway and Perkins Tribute
Saturday’s Reel Couture runway takes place in two parts inside The Hall at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. The 2:30 p.m. matinee features designers, retail fashion, emerging talent and creative collections, including work by Converse College student Tre Salmond, FOX Carolina reports. The Hall is adjacent to the auditorium’s 3,244-seat theater stage, which the venue describes as one of the largest performing arts stages in the Southeast.
The evening’s main feature begins at 7 p.m., with Morgan Norris as host. FOX Carolina reports that the program will include runway presentations, film-inspired collections, red-carpet appearances and special guests. Spartanburg pop artist and costume designer Brandon Hilton is scheduled to appear during both Saturday’s main feature and Sunday’s Reelys. Hilton grew up in Pacolet in Spartanburg County and now works out of Charlotte through his label The House of Mann. The label gained national attention in 2018 when it featured a drag queen on its cover, according to The House of Mann's press materials.
A Tribute to Kitty Black Perkins
Perkins, a Spartanburg native who created the first Black Barbie doll for Mattel, will be recognized during Saturday’s main feature, FOX Carolina reports. Executive director Contessa “Tess” Thompson said the show will honor Perkins’s contributions, according to the station.
Perkins graduated from Carver High School, Spartanburg's segregated Black high school prior to integration, in 1967 before attending Los Angeles Trade Technical College, according to the Greenville Journal. She went on to serve as Chief Designer of Fashions and Doll Concepts for Mattel from 1976 to 2003, creating the first Black Barbie in 1980 and retiring from the company in 2004 after nearly three decades, the outlet reports. The City of Spartanburg proclaimed March 30 as Kitty Black-Perkins Day in 2024 to honor her legacy as a trailblazing African American toy designer, according to Black Enterprise. Spartanburg High School hosted Perkins last October to mentor student groups, and Spartanburg County Public Libraries have since dedicated a community creative section in her name, per Spartanburg High School.
The Reelys Close Out the Week at 1881 Events
The week concludes Sunday at 4 p.m. with The Reelys, an awards ceremony presented by the Beyond the Seams Foundation. It recognizes designers, models, photographers, stylists, beauty professionals, media personalities, influencers and other creative trailblazers, FOX Carolina reports. The station reports that Shay “Big Butler” Butler will host the ceremony, Morgan Norris will co-host, and Kisha McCartha will serve as red-carpet host. The Reelys are scheduled at The Oxford at 1881 Events, at 805 Spartan Boulevard, according to an Instagram post
detailing the venue and host lineup.
The event also includes professional development, mentorship, networking and opportunities for creatives to build visibility and collaborate, FOX Carolina reports. Participating models attend workshops on runway technique, etiquette, presentation and industry readiness, including heel-training sessions at a studio space on North Church Street, according to Thompson’s Instagram account.
Fashion Week and Spartanburg’s Creative Economy
The City of Spartanburg projected estimated attendance of 2,500 for Fashion Week in its proposed FY 2026–2027 municipal budget. The projection points to the event’s anticipated reach as it brings independent designers, entrepreneurs, retailers, beauty professionals, influencers, media representatives and local businesses together, according to the City of Spartanburg's budget document and FOX Carolina.
Arts and Creative-Business Support
A South Carolina Arts Commission report using 2021 data estimated that the state’s arts-related economic cluster supported 123,550 jobs, or 5.5 percent of South Carolina’s employment base, according to the South Carolina Arts Hub. That is a statewide estimate; the research cited here does not provide a comparable figure for Spartanburg County. A separate effort focused on supporting artists and creative ventures began in 2017, when the South Carolina Arts Commission and CommunityWorks launched the ArtsGrow SC pilot at Spartanburg’s West Main Artists Co-op, according to the Upstate Business Journal. The pilot offered qualifying participants financial and business-development support, including matched savings, loans, grants, coaching and workshops; it was a separate initiative, not a Fashion Week program.
Ticket and event information is available at www.sptbgfashionweek.com, and updates are posted to Instagram at @spartanburgfashionweek, according to the station's report.
