Charles Harbison ’04 || HARBISON/Harbison Studio
Charles Harbison
Anni Albers Scholar, Textile Technology ’04
Founder/Creative Director, HARBISON/Harbison Studio
Creative Consultant
About
ORIGINS*
After initial study in architecture, Charles completed his undergraduate studies in Fiber Arts and Textile Science at North Carolina State University and postgraduate study at Parsons school of Design in Fashion. Educated in both the arts and sciences, Charles has developed a uniquely informed understanding of the fundamentals of design, the principles of aesthetics, and the complex science behind fabrics and materials.
With a year abroad researching central Asian Textiles and an initial career in luxury textile design, Charles began his womenswear fashion career in NYC with designer stints at Michael Kors collection, Luca Luca, and Billy Reid.
MAVERICK
In NYC 2013, Charles then launched his comprehensive collection, Harbison, with womenswear, menswear, and accessories exploring the designer’s central themes: ease, modernity, culture, gender, and sustainability.
Having dressed a slew of iconic celebrities (i.e. Beyonce, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ava Duvernay), design directed contemporary brands (i.e. Ungaro in London, Cult Gaia & Nicholas in LA), and collaborated with large-scale businesses around design, culture, and sustainability (i.e. Banana Republic, Waste Management) Charles continues to build Harbison in Los Angeles, infusing his experience — as well as his fascination with conceptual dualities — into this singular luxury lifestyle design studio.
HARBISON STUDIO is now available at Bergdorf Goodman, Moda Operandi and Saks Fifth Avenue.
*Headshot and Bio from Harbison Studio website.
The Story of the Circ x Harbison Yellow Dress: A Serendipitous Meeting of Sustainable Material and Design
The Circ Yellow Dress represents more than a garment — it embodies a journey of vision, innovation, collaboration and perseverance.
The Journey Begins: Amidst a Global Pandemic
The story begins in early 2020, amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Circ (formerly Tyton BioSciences) aimed to scale up its textile recycling process. During these challenging times, Dr. Julie Willoughby, Circ’s former Chief Scientific Officer, secured pilot trials with DanChem in Danville, Virginia. This partnership allowed Circ to process textile waste into its first batch of recycled cotton cellulose, a significant milestone in Circ’s journey beyond the lab scale.
The collaboration with Andritz’s pilot facility in Ohio further refined this material, laying the groundwork for Circ’s future commercial-scale facility.
With the help of NC State’s Pulp and Paper Technical Center (Dr. Lokendra Pal), Circ converted the recycled pulp into dry cotton paper sheets. This achievement marked another significant step forward in Circ’s quest to create sustainable materials.
Transforming Recycled Pulp into Circ Lyocell
To fully realize the potential of this recycled pulp, Circ partnered with TITK, a German research institute, to explore Lyocell processing—a lower-impact method for producing regenerated cellulose. By January 2021, Circ had successfully created lyocell fibers from 100% recycled cotton pulp, a remarkable feat achieved less than a year after the pandemic began.
From Fiber to Fashion: Creating the Yellow Dress
With the Circ Lyocell fibers ready, the journey continued to transform this innovation into a garment. At Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center, Circ collaborated with Don Rusch and his team to produce spun yarns and fabric swatches. The vision of creating a tangible product from recycled fibers began to take shape.
A serendipitous encounter at a conference led Circ’s Dr. Julie Willoughby to connect with designer Charles Harbison, a North Carolina native and NC State graduate. Inspired by Circ’s mission and his connection to his home state, Harbison eagerly joined the project. Alongside his studio manager, Michelle Chen, Harbison selected one of Circ’s woven fabrics for further development, blending with his unique design perspective.
Weaving Challenges and Triumphs
From mid-2022 to early 2023, Circ collaborated with NC State University’s Zeis Textiles Extension in their fabrication labs (Dr. Andre West, Melissa Sharp, Tim Pleasants and William Barfoot) to produce the required woven yardage of Circ Lyocell fabric. However, the weaving process faced setbacks when critical equipment broke down, delaying production for several months due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. In February 2023, after much perseverance, the equipment was repaired, and the fabric production was completed.
By July 2023, the fabric was dyed a vibrant yellow at NC State’s dye facility (Jeffery Krauss), ready for Harbison’s creative touch. In October 2023, the Yellow Dress was unveiled – a sophisticated and elegant piece that seamlessly combined Harbison’s classic style with Circ’s textile-to-textile recycled materials.
A Symbol of Circularity and Collaboration
The Circ Yellow Dress stands as a symbol of collaboration, creativity, and the power of innovation. Showcased at the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State, it reminds us of the incredible possibilities when we combine passion, resilience, and a commitment to sustainability.
