Not only does Michael W. Faircloth ('83) recall the first time he set foot on the North Texas campus in 1977, he also remembers the exact outfit he was wearing.

"It was a cool day, so I had on a blazer and a starched Polo shirt and khaki pants. It was kind of preppy, but that was the look back then," he says.

Accompanied by his mother, Billie -- dressed in a beige-and-white tunic top and skirt -- Faircloth met that fall day with assistant professor Betty Marzan Matill, who donned "a black-and-white, houndstooth-check dress, which was cut in a modern and sleek design."

It's no surprise that Faircloth can recount specifics about the ensembles he and the women sported nearly five decades ago.

The fashion designer has spent his 43-year career creating custom couture for celebrities, including singer-actress Cher, former First Lady Laura Bush and socialites throughout the United States as well as those on the global forefront of society, all through his Dallas company, Michael Faircloth Designs. 

UNT's College of Visual Arts and Design recently celebrated the naming of the Michael W. Faircloth Fashion Design Program -- the first time in CVAD's 132-year history that it has established a named program.

"To receive this honor is very humbling and very inspiring at the same time," says Faircloth, who earned a bachelor's in art with a concentration in fashion design. He serves on the CVAD Advancement Board and is also the namesake of a scholarship at the college.

"I want our program at UNT to continue to be at the forefront of fashion design and teaching students how to design clothing, be wonderful artists and express themselves."

An Inspired Career

Born in West Texas and raised in the small south central Texas city of Yoakum, Faircloth -- a first-generation student -- arrived at North Texas in Fall 1978 without any prior fashion-design knowledge, experience or skills. "I had to learn everything there -- cutting, draping, pattern making, sewing. It was all a challenge."

A history of costume design class taught by Mattil -- who is credited with helping to bring the Texas Fashion Collection to UNT in 1972 -- inspired Faircloth to be a designer. "I wanted to create beautiful, architectural, fine, exquisitely made clothing."

The Texas Fashion Collection also was influential. "When I was there -- wearing gloves, of course -- we were able to touch the garments, lift them up, look inside, see how they were constructed," he says.

While studying at North Texas, Faircloth worked as a part-time sales associate at Neiman Marcus department store in downtown Dallas, where he met some of his earliest design clients.

Among them was Cher, who visited the store while in Dallas filming the 1983 drama Silkwood. Faircloth asked the fashion icon if he could design garments for her and created a cashmere, mohair and leather cape and matching skirt. "She was just so easy-going and so delightful," he says.

First Lady in Red

Faircloth's loyal clientele turns to him to design and create lavish ball gowns and other couture worn at exclusive charity galas and other events that mark the vibrant Dallas-Fort Worth social scene. Also, his exquisite wedding gowns are a favorite among affluent brides.

"Every day, I make women feel their most beautiful, their most confident. That is what gives me the most joy," he says.

One of Faircloth's longtime clients is former First Lady Laura Bush, for whom he designed inaugural gowns and other fashions she wore while serving as First Lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000.

He may be best known for designing the red, Swarovski crystal-embroidered Chantilly lace gown that she wore at the 2001 inaugural ball of her husband, 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush.

Due to the delayed announcement of the 2000 presidential election results, Faircloth and his team had only weeks to complete the First Lady's gown and several other of her inaugural event outfits. "We were feverishly working on it and getting everything done," he recalls.

Two years later, Laura Bush donated the gown to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where it's on permanent display within "The First Ladies" collection.

Faircloth, who received UNT's 2003 Distinguished Alumni award for his career achievements, is no stranger to seeing his work on display. He and his clients have donated dozens of his garments to UNT's Texas Fashion Collection and they're frequently featured in fashion art exhibitions such as "Labor of Luxury," a touring exhibit that most recently was at the CVAD Gallery.

"As part of the Texas Fashion Collection, they'll be preserved forever and students can learn from them," he says. "That's very impactful."