Katie Gallagher (Q4910)
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Katie Gallagher is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Katie Gallagher |
Katie Gallagher is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
New York Fashion Week has begun to feel a bit like a battleground. Vacancies created by designer comings and goings have been filled by a wave of emerging talent, summarily showered with press and hailed as the next It label. But it’s one thing to generate clicks and buzz, and another to create a consistent line of clothes and a sustainable business, besides. What happens to those little brands once public attention wanes and that spotlight begins to fade?It is a question Katie Gallagher, in her 19th season, is grappling with now. Gone are the flashy presentations and the big PR push, which the designer found less and less effective. Instead, Gallagher set up a single rack in a Chelsea apartment (her and her boyfriend’s shared workspace) and took one-on-one press and market appointments. It was unconventional, to be sure, but, in fact, a nice change of pace from last season, when the dramatic staging felt somewhat like a sleight-of-hand trick to distract from the clothes. Now, there is nothing else. “You have to stop in order to start something new,” she said.Speaking of clothes: Gallagher’s Rosemary collection, inspired by the mad Ophelia’s speech fromHamlet, hit her usual notes. Pink and black swimsuits, heavily embellished with matching safety pins, and skintight mesh dresses with ribbons and frills, meant to float prettily in the water. To whom, you might wonder, do these leotards and leggings speak? Well, two months ago, Gallagher received a bump from Kylie Jenner, who wore a baby blue fishnet top dotted with pearls from Spring 2018. She has reissued it in black for Spring 2019, a smart business move (why not, given interest from Kylie fans?) and an indication of the more sales-driven direction she intends to go.
10 September 2018
“True Red” may have been the title of Katie Gallagher’s Fall 2018 collection, but there was surprisingly little of it. Mainly, there was the black tulle and skin-baring mesh that has typically characterized her clothes, with a few pops of the color scattered throughout. There were red vintage berets and tights, two stripes of red calfskin running diagonally down the front of sheer leggings and a strip of it wrapped around a see-through slip, some lacquered roses in the hair, and red silk ribbons tied to black kid suede mules, her first ever attempt at shoes. There were also plenty of polka dots and references to bondage and bindings, seen as lengths of silk ribbon wrapped here and there.Gallagher framed her presentation as a living gallery of sorts, staging a series of model tableaux in a dark, cavernous space. No doubt it was meant to convey the gothic romance associated with her brand, but with only 13 looks on hand, many of which treaded the same visual themes, one wanted more substance to back up the style.
15 February 2018
For her 17th collection, Katie Gallagher hoped to capture a cold spring day in clothing form. Simply titled (“Rain”) and attached to a Joanna Klink poem (“Some Feel Rain”), the collection stuck to a palette of inky black and frosted blue. For an hour, models cycled through a set presentation: Thunder would clap, a digital animation of abstract raindrops would splash across their faces, and each girl would take a slow, winding turn around the platform stage to better showcase the pieces.Raindrops were rendered as tiny seed pearls on two tulle dresses with trailing grosgrain ribbon straps. What appeared to be leotards were actually maillot (a Gallagher Spring staple), tucked into tonal fishnet tights that were individually stuck with pearls at each cross. The pearls on a baby blue mesh top and black hooded bomber were hand-placed, too, by Gallagher herself; there were even more pearls glued beneath each model’s eye in teardrop formation. Though she denied any reference to ballet, one could detect some subconscious influence: those faux leotards in tights with mink sashes tied over one shoulder, a floor-grazing tulle skirt trimmed in black grosgrain, and the messy ballet buns on models’ heads. Altogether, it made for a moody portrait that did, in fact, evoke early spring.
8 September 2017
Katie Gallagheris a big fan of Halloween. She has not one, but two tattoos dedicated to the holiday. So it’s no surprise that for Fall 2017, she tapped the spooky day’s signature palette: Aptly titled Hallow, the collection featured the designer’s subversive skin-baring styles exclusively in black and orange.Actually, the original inspiration behind the choice was the MA-1 bomber jacket, the classic version of which has an orange lining. Gallagher has riffed on the bomber jacket for the past few seasons, sometimes using feminine materials like tulle and lace to soften the typically masculine style. Balancing the heavy with the light, and, in the designer’s own words, the “cute with the hard,” is a recurring theme in Gallagher’s work. Here, she played with Swiss dots on sheer socks, tights, and accent panels to impart some daintiness; a sweatshirt came embroidered with round studs arranged in a polka-dot pattern and had a back panel of sheer swiss dots. “She’s wearing hardware but it’s still very feminine and cute because she’s also wearing polka dots,” said Gallagher.The military influence behind the collection is also the reason why this season Gallagher covered the models’ nipples. Not that it left much to the imagination: The bandage “bras” still exposed much of the breast; however the stark black line did give the soft, sheer looks a pleasing militant quality—and, of course, made them a little more Instagram-friendly.
10 February 2017
This season markedKatie Gallagher’s 15th collection. It was also the third and final installment of her all-black series, which allowed her to indulge in her favorite color—or lack of color—through texture and sheerness. She called out a pair of see-through Swiss dot trousers as a favorite; elsewhere in the collection, the unlikely material lent a darker, offbeat twist to sheer blouses and bike shorts.Her brand of gothic cool also involves a healthy dose of sex appeal, and Gallagher played that up for Spring with sultry back details. They aren’t visible on the computer screen, but in real life, a cutout or open back sizzles more than, say, a plunging neckline or up-to-there miniskirt these days. Gallagher updated a simple slip dress with a low, scooped-out back and lace-up corset detailing, while a sheer blouse came together with a single ribbon at the neck.Several of the looks were likely intended as base layers—namely the pony-hair bodysuits and completely sheer tops—but those are riffs on staples every girl needs. Kanye West proposed similar ideas at his Yeezy show earlier this week, and considering Gallagher has been in business for nearly a decade with a loyal band of followers, the concept seems to be sticking.
10 September 2016
Katie GallagherdressedLady GagaandDaphne Guinnessbefore she even graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. So now, seven years after officially launching her label, she’s a seasoned designer despite being under 30. Fall had Gallagher looking back on her career and reworking some of her favorite pieces from the archives. Most remarkable was an inventive leather jacket with poufed sleeves and a shrunken torso, which originally debuted in her Spring ’10 collection. It was one of the first pieces to generate considerable buzz for Gallagher, not only because it was unlike anything else on the market, but because it had a peculiar story. “My dad shot the deer, then my uncle skinned it and tanned the leather, so it’s a family piece,” she explained. They left the bullet holes in the first jacket, but rest assured the new version will be finished to a high gloss when it hits stores.This was also the second time Gallagher designed a completely black collection. To be fair, most of her collections are predominantly black, but she wanted to explore its most basic qualities here: It’s the darkest color that also has no color at all, and is both the full absorption and complete absence of light. Gallagher’s touchstones had similarly dark undertones: She cited Catholic rituals and Harry Clarke illustrations as her two main inspirations. Patches of lace on a swishy skirt mimicked a stained-glass window, and twisted details here and there—like cashmere rompers with zippers all the way around or crushed-glass hair clips—were reminiscent of Clarke’s eerie black-and-white drawings. In the end, what stood out was how wearable most of these pieces were. While past collections have featured see-through latex and body-con silhouettes, lots of women will be able to relate to the luxe calf-hair jackets, robe coats, and filmy slip dresses here.
10 February 2016
A collection titled “Chinatown” might conjure up images of girls in silkqipaodresses and embroidered pajamas. But the New York City neighborhood’s mash-up of Chinese traditions, crowded streets, and diverse residents has been a constant source of inspiration forKatie Gallagherthroughout her career. The designer has lived and worked in the area for nearly a decade, and for Spring she translated its singular energy into clothes that were easy, minimal, and just a touch charming. “It’s really just about my take on Chinatown, and what I smell, feel, and see when I’m there,” Gallagher said. That came through in the color palette, which was predominantly black and white with pops of red and gold—“like Chinese gold, or a taxi”—but it was also felt in the delicate textures. Still, the stone-washed silk slip dresses would no doubt stand up to the Mott Street hustle; some of them had a vaguely Eastern influence with apron necklines. Gallagher also whipped up a slouchy cherry red tote as a nod to the plastic shopping bags you pick up at Chinatown markets. That tongue-in-cheek accessory lent a softer, more playful element to the collection: It felt fresh for Gallagher, whose oeuvre is characteristically more edgy and conceptual.
12 September 2015
Designers can find inspiration anywhere, but you'd be hard pressed to name someone else who has used synesthesia as their starting point. Katie Gallagher's collections always lean toward the conceptual, so it wasn't a surprise to find the neurological phenomenon in her show notes. (Some synesthetes perceive letters, numbers, sounds, or other things as colors—for example, one might "see" yellow when looking at a specific number.)"My collections are always about color, so I was thinking about how you might see something as a color rather than the actual object," Gallagher said. Cherry red popped against all-black ensembles, "like something blurred that's coming into focus," as the designer saw it. The concept was mirrored in the silhouettes, too. Billowing flares, bell-shaped coats, and floaty trapeze dresses created soft, ephemeral shapes that were more forgiving than anything Gallagher has ever done. It may not have been her intention, but the clothes were remarkably more wearable for it.The young designer has played with 3-D printing and see-through bodysuits in the past, and while she does cater to a niche market, it was nice to see her high-concept thinking on clothes that a lot of girls can wear. A pilot jacket with oversize pockets and the aforementioned slipdresses would be instant wardrobe staples. Of course, there was still a touch of weirdness in the form of hoods tied under the chin. It wouldn't be a Katie Gallagher show without a little witchy element.
13 February 2015
For Spring, Katie Gallagher lightened up—so much so that her clothes almost disappeared. "I was thinking about mist and something dewy, so I wanted to create clothes that seemed to fade away," she explained. The show, titled "Fantasm" (a play onphantasm,the ancient word for an apparition), opened with a series of heavy black looks, then gradually faded to gray, pure white, and finally nude. Gallagher's darkly cool signature made its way into each piece, like stiff shirting with extra-long sleeves and sporty mesh-paneled dresses, but everything had a new, relaxed ease. A cloudy charcoal latex skirt was surprisingly soft and easy to wear, and a billowing chiffon dress even felt a little sweet. Completely see-through tops (Gallagher certainly does not fear the nipple) left little to the imagination, but they felt of-the-moment with loose, wide-leg trousers. A more reserved shopper could layer a tank or bandeau underneath and still look every bit the edgy Gallagher girl.Gallagher has been experimenting with 3-D printing for a few seasons now, and this time she employed the technique for an abstract floral detail on the hem of a skirt and a woven pattern on a cropped shell. Next year, she said, she'll explore the concept further with fully printed jackets. Her gothic edge may have earned her a cult following, but behind the scenes Gallagher is very much a savvy, intuitive young designer.
6 September 2014
Katie Gallagher staged her first seated runway show today, in a former convent where soaring stained-glass windows and a flickering candle-filled fireplace complemented the goth undertones of the young designer's work. The runway format highlighted surprising design elements, such as an apparently simple—albeit perfectly drapey—raglan sweatshirt that turned out to be entirely backed in sheer chiffon. Gallagher abandoned her usual heavy use of leather this season in favor of slippery tech nylon and silvery gray faux fur, which she combined in oversize bombers with contrasting pockets and collars that were among the show's strongest pieces. Along with those bombers, ponte crop tops and leggings gave the moody collection some sportiness, while open-necked French terry sweatshirts paired with arch-hemmed skirts lent it all some louche sophistication. (Paired with wet-shine hair, those looks couldn't help but recall the sexy noir vibe at Prada last February.)While it was nice to see Gallagher branching out, menswear-inspired pieces like tab-front trousers and crisp shirtdresses seemed to push her into a more conservative corner. Gallagher's many textures of black were accented with pieces and panels in red flocked netting, as well as droopy hair bows and oxblood lips. But what really shined—literally and figuratively—were those tech nylon pieces, where her experimentation paid off.
5 February 2014
Katie Gallagher showed a spare, twenty-look collection for Spring. The palette consisted of three hues—pale pink, white, and black—and was made up of simple, sportswear-driven silhouettes. Inspired by the German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten's song "Blume," about a woman trying on different identities in the guise of flowers, each look was named after one: Chrysanthemum, Peony, Marigold…all the way down the spectrum to Black Dahlia. There were hand-sewn blooms accenting a few of the looks—they were raw and beautifully messy on the hem of a sheer, pale skirt—but there was nothing particularly floral about the pieces' shapes. Instead, Gallagher, a runner, said she'd injected a little bit more sport into the clothes. Swimwear was mixed in throughout, and the collection featured Gallagher's first ever menswear-inspired piece, a lightweight bomber jacket that looked like something you'd throw on for your cooldown lap. Nothing much stood out, but that may have been intentional. These are pieces to add to and build on—individual blossoms as opposed to centerpieces.
9 September 2013
If Little Red Riding Hood grew up, got angry, and went on a wolf hunt, this is what she'd wear: a dotted Swiss hoodie, a no-nonsense boiled-wool skirt, and an inky black wool coat, its edges dissipating into the laser-cut outlines of spindly winter branches…all the better to camouflage into her surroundings, my dear.Katie Gallagher showed all this and more dark winter delights in a collection she called The Winter Froze You Away. The dotted Swiss ran throughout the almost all-black collection, its innocence subsumed by something stronger. It showed up sheer (as leggings and second-skin long-sleeved shirts), 3-D (cotton dots on a silk chiffon T-shirt; nubby boiled-wool top-and-skirt combo), and paneled into fine-gauge sweaters. It even ran into the beauty realm, with ombré pointillist nail art. But the biggest step forward for Gallagher in this collection may have been the relative diversity of silhouettes she included. Along with all the body-con pieces, there were garments that left space to breathe, without compromising on witchy allure.
7 February 2013
A young RISD grad with audible buzz, Katie Gallagher debuted her line at New York Fashion Week with her Spring 2010 collection; before that, one of the designer's school projects—a dress made from Plexiglas springs—reportedly came to the attention of Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness before Gallagher even graduated. Since then Gallagher has maintained a consistent point of view. Goth, body-con, and futuristic are all applicable labels, and Spring's collection was a continuation of those themes. Peplums, graphic cutouts, and architectural seaming called attention to the body's swoops and curves, while a few pieces of sexy swimwear—a new addition for Gallagher—were cut high on the thigh and slit wide at the waist. Gallagher makes a point of using natural fibers like silk, lambskin, and kangaroo leather (a first for her this season) whenever possible, but there was an unappealingly unfinished quality to some of these pieces that made the fabrics look less special than they were. Chalk that up to the high price of producing polished samples and the designer's business still being nascent. If the press of fans at her presentation is anything to go by, people will be happy to wait while Gallagher clears those sorts of hurdles. For now, she would do well to focus on what sets her aesthetic apart from the other darkly romantic designers hoping to score a Gaga or Guinness.
6 September 2012