Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds

Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds, known as The Dean of Fashion™, moves fluidly between business, fashion, education, and culture. For more than twenty years, he has applied the same strategic eye in the boardroom, on the front row, in the classroom, and in the cultural conversation.

A former special education teacher, he moved into boutique brand development with URUP Designs and HR management at Neiman Marcus, then became Academic Director of Fashion at The Art Institute of Atlanta, where he led its programs through SACS accreditation.

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, where he is a two-time recipient of the Stephen Shank Award for Teaching Excellence.

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

A trusted media voice since his early days recapping Project Runway for Blogging Project Runway, the original fan blog, he is 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.

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

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

Born in Columbus, Georgia, and shaped by formative years in Berlin, he is based in Atlanta.

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

Photo: Amelia Jackson