Kathryn Marie "'Katie" Gallagher (August 15, 1986 – July 23, 2022) was an American

fashion design Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

er and founder of her own brand in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Gallagher's designs were featured in '' Vogue Italia'', '' Elle'', ''

Interview magazine ''Interview'' is an American magazine founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol and British journalist John Wilcock. The magazine, nicknamed "The Crystal Ball of Pop", features interviews with celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinke ...

'', and ''Refinery 29'' magazines. ''Refinery 29'' identified as one of six designers to watch. In January 2010, Gallagher was named as a semi-finalist in the 2009/2010

Ecco Domani Ecco Domani is the brand of an Italian wine company selling in the United States, Canada, and Northern Europe, with marketing and distribution by E & J Gallo Winery. It was founded in 1996 and is led by Fabrizio Gatto. ''Market Watch'' named it one ...

Fashion Foundation search for emerging fashion designers.

Early life and education

Katie Gallagher was born in western

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and spent her early childhood there. About her youth, Gallagher said, "I never wore shoes, and I hated wearing clothes (but always wore my cat on my head)!"Julia Frake
"Designer Katie Gallagher to Present Her First Full Collection"
PAPERMAG August 25, 2009 From seventh grade through high school, she lived in

State College State College is a city in central Pennsylvania, United States. State College may also refer to: Related to State College, Pennsylvania * State College Area School District, a school district serving State College * State College Area High School ...

, and taught herself to sew. She shopped for vintage clothes, and altered them on a little Singer sewing machine. Gallagher declared apparel design as her major after her freshman year at the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...

.Ariella Gogo
"Katie Gallagher on Monochrome and Models" Fashion
''Interview'' March 2, 2010 Her first apparel design project at RISD was a dress fabricated from springs she made herself.Molly Smith, Piera Gelard
"Designer Katie Gallagher Brings Her Style Home to NYC" My Style
''Refinery 29'' March 25, 2010 Gallagher interned for Anna Sui during the summer following her sophomore year, and for

threeASFOUR threeASFOUR is a New York fashion house – led by Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil – known for combining technical innovation and couture craftsmanship with an aesthetic focus on natural geometries. Hailing from Lebanon, USSR, ...

between her junior and senior years and also during winter break in her senior year. Her senior thesis project was a collection entirely in black. The collection included tailored dresses, silk and leather jackets, and detailing that included silver chains and ruffles.Deanne Ye
"Katie Gallagher"
''Dossier Journal'' December 24, 2009 The work that Gallagher produced at RISD attracted the attention of fashion magazines including ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

'' magazine and '' Vogue Italia'', and buyers from fashion boutiques SEVEN New York in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

I.T I.T is a Hong Kong fashion and investment conglomerate founded in November 1988. It owns a number of Hong Kong brands which it retails as well as distributing European and Japanese brands such as French Connection and A Bathing Ape. It has a ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. Magazine editors began to interview Gallagher during her senior year. Katie Gallagher graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Apparel Design degree in May, 2009.

Career

Gallagher moved to

and established "Katie Gallagher". She moved to the

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

area of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Gallagher began work on her SS10 (spring/summer 2010) collection in anticipation of showing the apparel at

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...

in September 2009. She made sketches and paintings to establish the design for the line prior to fabrication. The SS10 collection, entitled "Veil", was well received by the press.Hayley Phela
"The Six New Designers to Watch Now"
Refinery 29 October 5, 2009 She submitted photos of the line to the

Fashion Foundation for consideration in their 2009/2010 search for emerging designers. In January 2010, Gallagher was notified that she was a semi-finalist in the

Fashion Foundation 2009/2010 search. Gallagher presented collections for SS10, AW10, SS11, AW11, SS12, and AW12 at New York Fashion Week. Her SS10 collection was called "darkly futuristic, sleek" in ''Refinery 29''. "The Heart of the Woods and What I Found There", her AW10 collection, featured "dark layered separates, with flashes of cream, grey and green". Considered "sporty yet aggressive", Gallagher's SS11 collection, "Arena", was inspired by athletics, in particular running. "Gris-Gris", her AW11 collection named after the voodoo talisman bag, featured "grays and blacks, asymmetries and paradoxical volumes", and "heavily blackened eyes, and a cyborg-esque eye detail". In discussing her SS12 collection, "Red Red Blood", Gallagher specified that it was, "Not the blood of nightmares of brutality, but the blood that's sanguine, living and the brightest red."Rachel Scroggin
"Katie Gallagher S/S 2012"
The Greyest Ghost January 9, 2011 Detailing included makeup inspired by the bloodstream, and hair inspired by the heart. AW12 "Silent Soil" was inspired by the forest. The collection featured fabrics including boiled wool, shearling, leather, silk, and chiffon. Gallagher's "trademark" leggings were used in the collection, but not highlighted as in past shows.Lauren Gra
"Katie Gallagher – Fall 2012 – On Silent Soil"
modaCYCLE February 15, 2012 Selected designs from Katie Gallagher's work have been pulled, borrowed for editorial shoots, by

Daphne Guinness Daphne Diana Joan Susanna Guinness (born 9 November 1967) is an English designer, actress, producer, and musician. Early life Her father is Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne, the eldest son of Diana Mitford and Bryan Guinness. Diana Mitford wa ...

, and on a continuing basis by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

's stylist, Nicola Formichetti. The list of stockists for the Katie Gallagher line has grown to include high-end stores around the world. In explaining her method of designing, Gallagher said, "Everything I make starts with my paintings, which I've done every season prior to construction. I love to try to re-create a three-dimensional version of whatever I've drawn; it requires pretty unconventional pattern-making." On November 5, 2012, Gallagher launched the Katie by Katie Gallagher diffusion line of clothing that includes both separates and jewelry pieces.

Death

Katie died unexpectedly at her home in New York City on July 23, 2022. On March 24, 2023, the NYPD announced that her death was ruled a homicide.

Designer collections

* SS10 "Veil" was shown in September 2009 at New York Fashion Week at The Tribeca Grand Hotel. * AW10 "The Heart of the Woods and What I Found There" was shown in February 2010 at New York Fashion Week at The Soho Grand Hotel. * SS11 "Arena" was shown in September 2010 at

Stoll Stoll is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Barbara J. Stoll, American pediatrician and professor * Cal Stoll, American football coach * Caspar Stoll, entomologist * Clifford Stoll, American astronomer * David Stoll, American an ...

. New York Fashion Week. * AW11 "Gris-Gris" was shown in February 2011 at New York Fashion Week at Milk Studios.Cynthia Anderso
"Katie Gallagher thrills with Gris-Gris"
Style Wylde February 14, 2011 * SS12 "Red Red Blood" was shown in September 2011 at New York Fashion Week at Milk Studios and Paris Fashion Week at Stealth Projekt. * AW12 "Silent Soil" was shown in February 2012 at New York Fashion Week at The Standard Hotel and Paris Fashion Week at Stealth Projekt. * SS13 "Everything Forever" was shown in September 2012 at New York Fashion Week at The Standard Hotel.Lexi Nisit
"Up Close And Personal At Katie Gallagher's Spring '13 Presentation"
Refinery 29 September 7, 2012 retrieved September 8, 2012 *AW13 "The Winter Froze You Away" was shown in February 2013 at New York Fashion Week at The Standard Hotel. *SS14 "Bloom" was shown in September 2013 at New York Fashion Week at 55 Gansevoort. *FW14 "Wonderworld" was shown in February 2014 at New York Fashion Week at The Highline Hotel. *SS15 "Fantasm" was shown in September 2014 at New York Fashion Week at The Highline Hotel. *FW15 "Navy Eyes" was shown in February 2015 at New York Fashion Week at Pier 59 Studios. *SS16 "Chinatown" was shown in September 2015 at New York Fashion Week at Supermarket Gallery and Paris Fashion Week. *FW16 "Veiled" was shown in February 2016 at New York Fashion Week at The Roxy Hotel. *SS17 "Eclipse" was shown in September 2016 at New York Fashion Week at

Foley Gallery Foley Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Manhattan, New York City, owned by Michael Foley. Since opening in 2004, Foley Gallery has moved from the Chelsea neighborhood to the Lower East Side in 2014. Among the artists Foley represents are J ...

. *FW17 "Hallow" was shown in February 2017 at New York Fashion Week at

Projective Space In mathematics, the concept of a projective space originated from the visual effect of perspective, where parallel lines seem to meet ''at infinity''. A projective space may thus be viewed as the extension of a Euclidean space, or, more generally ...

. *SS18 "Rain" was shown in September 2017 at New York Fashion Week at 725 Washington Street. *FW18 "True Red" was shown in February 2018 at New York Fashion Week at Mailroom NYC 110 Wall Street. *SS19 "Rosemary" was shown in September 2018 at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. *FW19 "TenTenTen" was shown in February 2019 at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. *SS20 "Bath House" was shown in September 2019 at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. *FW20 "The Danger of Tears" was shown in February 2020 at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. *SS21 "Orpiment" was shown in September 2020 at New York Fashion Week via CFDARunway360. *FW21 "Ocean Grey" was shown in February 2021 at New York Fashion week via CFDARunway360. *SS21 "Cicadas" was shown in October 2021 during Paris Fashion Week. *FW22 "Chordeva" was shown in February 2022 during New York Fashion Week.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Katie 1986 births 2022 deaths American fashion designers American women fashion designers High fashion brands People from Pennsylvania Rhode Island School of Design alumni 21st-century American women