Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds

Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds, known as The Dean of Fashion™, moves fluidly between business, fashion, education, and culture, bringing the same strategic eye to the boardroom, the front row, and the classroom for more than twenty years.

A former special education teacher, he moved into boutique brand development with URUP Designs, then spent six years as assistant HR manager at Neiman Marcus, developing talent inside luxury retail. He went on to nine years at The Art Institute of Atlanta, where, as Academic Director of Fashion, he led its programs through SACS accreditation.

Alongside that path, he built a media career, starting with Project Runway recaps for Blogging Project Runway, the original fan blog, then writing for Sheen Magazine and helping launch the fashion vertical at HERS Magazine as Senior Fashion Editor, where he developed several notable covers and signature content.

Today, he leads CAH & Co., his strategic consultancy, helping brands, institutions, and emerging talent turn creative vision into business results. He is also Senior Fashion Editor at Upscale Magazine and doctoral faculty in Capella University’s School of Business, a two-time recipient of the Stephen Shank Award for Teaching Excellence.

His creative work has a wide canvas. He co-created the fragrance HERE with Dragon Perfumes, featured in GQ and Condé Nast Traveler, and wrote the foreword to Fashion Blueprint: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Brand. He appears in the Emmy-winning documentary The South Got Something to Say and in Love, Patrick, a BronzeLens Film Festival award winner honoring designer Patrick Kelly.

A recurring commentator on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX 5, 11Alive, WWD, and NPR, he also hosts and moderates events including the Miss Universe St. Lucia pageant, BladieCon, and Jack and Jill’s Bold Lips & Bowties.

He has collaborated with the late André Leon Talley, Tim Gunn, June Ambrose, Mimi Plange, and Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton, and partnered with Macy’s, Gap Inc., New York Fashion Week, and Startupbootcamp FashionTech Milan.

He holds a B.S. from Alabama State University, an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a DBA from Argosy University. His honors include Alabama State’s 50 Under 50, Atelier Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, and Modern Luxury’s Men of Style, and he serves as a Cultural Ambassador for the St. Lucia Fashion Council.

Born in Columbus, Georgia, and shaped by years in Berlin, he calls Atlanta home.

To book Dr. Hammonds for hosting, moderating, speaking, or consulting, visit the Book page.

Photo: Amelia Jackson.