Belk Seeks Talented Southern Designers to Add to Their Collection of Top Brands

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Charlotte-based Belk, Inc., the nation's largest privately owned mainline department store company, is seeking Southern designers of apparel, shoes and women's accessories to add to its numerous collection of brands for its second annual Southern Designer Showcase contest. Winning designs will be sold at Belk and on Belk.com beginning spring 2014.

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"We are thrilled to offer Southern designers the opportunity to have their designs sold alongside today's top names in fashion," said Arlene Goldstein, Belk's vice president of trend merchandising and fashion direction. "Last year, we had an overwhelming response, but ultimately chose 15 winners that offered a variety of designs and products that represent the modern, Southern style Belk delivers every day."

Categories include women's, men's and kids' apparel, shoes, and women's accessories. Designers must live in Belk's footprint of Southern states or have a strong connection to the region.

Entry Submission Rules:

• Designers must be 18 or older.
• Entries must include photographs (no larger than 8.5 x 11) of up to 10 samples, along with a resume, bio, and brief statement outlining why your designs are appropriate to the Belk brand.

Entry forms and directions for submission are available at www.belk.com/southerndesigner and are due to Belk by March 1, 2013. Finalists will be chosen by Belk's panel of judges and notified by email on April 1, 2013 and invited to present their designs at Belk's corporate offices on May 22, 2013. 

Showcase winners will be notified by May 31, 2013 and announced on June 12, 2013 at a celebration event at Belk Headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. Winners will have the opportunity to become a Belk vendor partner featured in Belk stores and on Belk.com, in addition to being seen by Belk's 300,000 Facebook fans.

"For 125 years, Belk's success has been based on offering our customers top designers and products that exemplify the modern Southern lifestyle," Goldstein said. "The Southern Designer Showcase is a wonderful opportunity to discover and support new talent, offer new styles and trends to our customers and continue to add to our wonderful brands."

About Belk, Inc.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. (www.belk.com) is the nation's largest family-operated mainline department store company with 301 Belk stores located in 16 Southern states.  Founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C., the company is in the third generation of Belk family leadership and has been committed to community involvement since it began.  Each year, Belk gives a portion of its pretax income back to the communities it serves. In fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2012, the company and its associates, customers and vendors, donated more than $18 million to those communities. Belk.com offers a wide assortment of national brands and private label fashion apparel, shoes and accessories for the entire family along with top name cosmetics, a wedding registry and a large selection of quality merchandise for the home. To connect with Belk go to: Belk Get Connected -Belk Get Connected.

Modern. Southern. Style.
Belk seeks to satisfy the modern Southern lifestyle like no one else, so that our customers get the fashion they desire and the value they deserve.  Our vision is for the modern Southern woman to count on Belk first – for her, for her family, for life.

SOURCE Belk, Inc.