Hickory artist and fashion designer Melissa Crosson is working on styles to debut during New York Fashion Week in September.
Crosson is heading back to New York for the second consecutive year.
Crosson said she is creating three collections for New York Fashion Week. Her designs will be on display in New York on Sept. 12 and 13. On the 13th, Crosson will showcase her designs at the Runway 7 fashion show at Sony Hall.
“A lot of designers have success at their shows, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed this will get people’s attention about me,” Crosson said.
Crosson said Fashion Week allows designers to exhibit collections they created for different seasons.
“For the 12th, I’m doing a collection of hard meets soft, so it’s got a punk feel but also elegant at the same time,” Crosson said. “For my youth collection, I’m still thinking about how I’m going to do it. I was going to put flowers all over the dress, but I might hand-paint them instead. I love combining anything with my artistry.”
Crosson is an upcycle designer. She creates fashion from previously worn clothing.
“Everything I make is completely one of a kind,” Crosson said.
On the 13th, Crosson said she will debut an “avant-garde” collection. Crosson said these designs will showcase clothing not typically worn. For that line, Crosson said she plans to incorporate plastics into her designs.
“When I approach my fashion, I do it the same way as my art. … I’m always trying new things,” Crosson said.
Crosson gained attention after designing a billboard on Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard in 2022. After designing the billboard, she was asked to create an upcycled fashion piece. She took the design of a previous billboard winner and converted it into a piece of fashion using recycled materials.
Crosson participated in Charlotte Fashion Week in 2023 and won “Best Upcycled Designer” of the show. She will participate in the Charlotte show again this year.
Participating in New York Fashion Week is not cheap. Crosson is hosting a fashion show in Hickory on Aug. 9 to raise money for her trip to New York.
She hosted GoFundMe last year, but wanted to do something different this year.
“I wanted to bring something to the community to gain funds for New York Fashion Week,” Crosson said.
The show will be held at Warehouse 18 in downtown Hickory from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Crosson said the event will feature a fashion show, vendors and other designers showing off their collections.
Emporium 23 in Newton and Tyler by Tyler, another upcycle designer based in Hickory, will be two of the designers presenting collections at the Hickory show.
“The point of it is to bring fashion to Hickory and bring the community and different artists, different fashion businesses together,” Crosson said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Tickets start at $40. To purchase tickets and learn more about Crosson’s fashion business, Unique Custom Threads, visit .