April Moore and Courtni Tyre, founders and designers of three07
Q: What were the highlights from your visit to Belk corporate?
A: We had such a great time at Belk Corporate in Charlotte, SC for the Belk SDS Winner Celebration event! But the biggest highlight of the day was getting to know the other winners and meeting the buying team and Belk Executives. We were congratulated by Chairman and CEO Tim Belk himself, and being able to stand by Arlene Goldstein through this process has been such an honor. As undergraduates at UA, we attended Saks Inc. in Homewood for a Trend Forecasting seminar hosted by their Fashion Director, Arlene Goldstein. Her enthusiasm and love of fashion inspired us then, and it’s been so fun to go through the Southern Designer Showcase process with her at Belk!
Q. Do you when and where your stores will be available through Belk?
A: Our Spring 2016 line will be available in Belk’s highest-volume stores and online beginning March 2016. We are beyond excited and so honored to know that our designs will soon be hanging on racks for sale in such a well-known and loved department store!
Q: What did you learn from the Southern Designer Showcase?
A: The Belk Southern Designer Showcase process has taught us to never give up. We are now in our fifth year as a company, and we feel like this is finally our break! Being named a winner of the Belk Southern Designer Showcase has reassured us that we are on the right path. We are extremely grateful that Belk has given Southern designers like us a chance!
Q: How would you describe the style of three07? How similar is it to your personal styles?
A: We really feel that our brand fits perfectly with Belk’s concept of “Modern. Southern. Style.” Our contemporary silhouettes and fun prints (and fabric choices) create the effortless look that the Belk customer wants and needs in her wardrobe. In our personal wardrobes we both enjoy playing around with prints, whether it’s mixing them or creating matched sets. Fashion should be fun and never too serious!
Q: What is your design process like?
A: We are inspired by the everyday Southern lady. A three07 woman is classy and confident, and knows how to have a good time. We typically create two lines per year – a spring collection and a fall Gameday collection. From sketching ideas and creating patterns to store delivery, the design process takes us roughly eight months. And we are always working two seasons ahead to stay on track with whole process.
