And it has worked. He dressed Mindy Kaling, Audra McDonald, and Simone Biles for the 2025 Met Gala; Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris for the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner; and Sheryl Lee Ralph for her historic performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the Super Bowl.
At 40, Harbison moves with assurance. The work feels lighter, even as it grows more exacting. His latest collection draws on American sportswear — separates, structure, function — but infuses it with grace. The result is motion disguised as stillness.
In a society obsessed with performance and presentation, Harbison’s idea of a pretty war feels both timely and timeless. His clients are not dressing for fantasy. They are preparing for contact with the world as it is. Every clasp and curve insists on presence. The tailoring is deliberate, the color unapologetic, the geometry of a lapel as declarative as a raised chin.
“My goal,” Harbison says, “is simple. If you choose Harbison, it has to make your life better.”
In his studio, the racks shimmer with silk and color. A cape catches the light; hardware gleams. The women who will wear these pieces are entering rooms where history still weighs heavy, but they do so adorned and ready.
get tickets
See the Charles Harbison runway show at Diamond Wish Fashion Week El Paseo, March 14, 2026. Click for details.