In 2024, alumna Amelia Harmond was invited to join Interior Design Magazine’s 30/30 Program. After stumbling across O’More at a college fair at my middle school, she feels blessed to have a career pursuing what she loves and being recognized for it 14 years later. 

“O’More has such an uplifting environment, you are free to be out of the box with your ideas and who you are as a person. The professors help to push you out of your normal realm of thinking and cultivate your ideas into space and designs. In a funny way, the classroom is a lot like therapy – your professors and classmates help you to understand your life experiences and how they can impact how you design, as well as how people will view and experience your designs.”

Read more about her achievement here

Marian Anderson, Fashion Design '22, brought her education with her abroad and is now working in the industry as a bridal stylist in London. She credits O'More College's community-focused mindset, sense of curiosity and empowering professors and peers for setting her trajectory and encouraging her to pursue her passions. 

"At O’More, I felt like I could be a dreamer and a doer. I felt like I was equipped to know how to use different tools to make things come to life. The creative industry is incredibly competitive, and being able to learn in an environment that was more open to learning and growing was so amazing. I felt like I could always go to my professors or peers with ideas or struggles and they were always there to listen and help me process.”

In both her current work as the Marketing Brand Manager for Genesco Brands Group in Nashville, TN and her previous role with Ralph Lauren working as a Brand Marketing Associate for the Olympics and Sports Partnerships, Ansley has taken her O'More education and ran with it, even providing guidance O'More students in the merchandise simulation class. 

"The fashion program teaches you so many different parts of the industry that all intersect, whether it’s marketing, design, merchandising, planning or buying. I also think the liberal arts education really enhanced my experience, especially taking classes outside of the field. Being able to communicate with coworkers is so important, and courses like public speaking really helped prepare me.

Read more about Ansley Deaton here

O'More Interior Design alum and Advisory Board member, Evan Millard, was included in House Beautiful's Next Wave Class of 2023, among 15 designers who are on the rise to become the top interior designers in the industry.

From Evan's perspective, a feature such as this, "...is such an honor to be recognized less than a year into beginning my solo career....It’s one thing to be proud of my work but to be recognized by the team at House Beautiful is such an honor. I’ve admired this national publication for so long and to be featured within it’s pages three times now blows my mind away!"

As Evan reflects on his education and career, he has this piece of advice to offer aspiring Interior Designers: "Never take for granted the opportunity to build and nurture relationships. The relationships I forged both during and after my time at O’More are what have propelled my solo career!"

In his role at Fanatics, Inc. as an associate designer, Justice Joseph oversees all projects that come through the women's design team — items that will find their way to a multitude of retailers including Dicks Sporting Goods, Target, Costco and more. Every day is different, but his work includes developing new pieces that will find their way to production, considering design trends, analyzing consumer purchasing habits and understanding how the market is performing.

As a young professional, Justice is grateful for the faculty members he had while he was at Belmont and the education they provided for him — all of which prepared him for the career he has launched. "The professors are just amazing," he said. "They are what make our program so special. They are readily available and eager to help. What more could you ask for?"

Graduating during the online era of 2020, Interior Design alumna Alyssa Weardon hasn’t let the turbulent times slow her down. She recently made the Class of 2023 of the National Kitchen & Bath Association's prestigious Thirty Under 30 Program and is making her mark on the design world as a lead designer at Monarch Lane Interiors.

For Weardon, going to Belmont was always the dream. During her time as a student, she was President of Belmont’s International Interior Design Association chapter and spent her time getting plugged into the industry.

“Belmont is where I learned how to network,” she said. “The biggest secret to success in the interior design industry, especially in Nashville, is that the more people you know and who know you, the more opportunities come your way.”

"I use all the skills that O’More provided me. I’ve worked for other amazing brands like Victoria’s Secret and VF Corporation. The success I’ve achieved started with my decision to go to O’More. It was the first step in harnessing my creativity and has led me to where I am today. When considering colleges, O’More was at the top of my list. The environment, faculty and class sizes appealed to me. The unique and intensive curriculum definitely set me up for success. My first job was through the internship program, becoming full-time before graduation. Since then, my experiences have ranged from design and sourcing to merchandising. Because of my training at O’More and the practical applications I learned in these disciplines, it helped set me apart as opportunities arose.”

O’More College of Design 2009 alumna Van Hoang was named the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award Recipient of 2018. Sustainability is at the core of Hoang’s design philosophy. She wants to be a part of the change that ensures there is a healthy planet for others that come after us to thrive. Her triple bottom line is people, planet, product. Through her work, she wants to change how people perceive sustainable fashion, understanding that the two are not mutually exclusive. Hoang’s mission is to give the customer an alternative to what has become the traditional fashion system.“O’More was really instrumental in providing me with a solid foundation of skills I needed in the fashion industry,” said Hoang. “O’More provided me a network of people who want to support me and see me succeed, which is amazing.”

Read About Hoang's Award and Fashion Career.

Fashion designer and Adjunct Instructor at Belmont’s O’More College of Architecture, Art & Design, Ashley Balding is also a graduate of O’More College of Design.

Balding was honored with two awards in 2018 by the Nashville Fashion Alliance for her work with Ona Rex. The first was for Women’s Wear Designer of the Year, and the second, along with photographer Brett Warren, was for Creative Collaborators.

She is very passionate about fashion and thankful for the community O’More has given her. “O’More has not only been a huge support of my path, but they instilled the desire to push boundaries from the beginning. I’m so grateful to have such a great community around me.”

Read About Balding's Awards

Payton James launched her handbag business in the fall of 2018 and most recently was picked up by Free People as part of their online offerings.

Interested in fashion ever since she was little, James dabbled in apparel design but ultimately made the switch to accessories after learning more about the niche in school. She credits O’More for giving her the skills she needed to be a part of the fashion industry. “O’More taught me what it takes to be in this ever-changing industry,” James said. “You really have to factor in everyone’s criticism, because that helps you learn what your customer wants.”

Read About Payton’s Product Launch.