FW Favorite: Katie Gallagher

While her collection title might reference the woods the actual garments make me think of post-apocalyptic urban warrior princesses. Her color palette is made up of blacks and neutrals and leggings and leather dominate. But what is striking is her mix of textures and how the fabric wraps the body.

The leggings are by far the most complex I've ever seen; she mixes in sheer fabric and zipper hardware and the fabric wraps around instead of just going straight up in one piece. While many of her leggings require a model thinness or height to wear well, they are paired with jackets that anyone can wear with confidence. Many had asymmetrical elements and they all had great detailing. I especially love the jacket above right with the banding down the sleeves and the cinched waist.


I also love the cuts of both of these jackets.

I have been intrigued with Katie Gallagher since I first met her through her friend Alex who interviewed her for Style Defined. I remember her telling the story about how she had an internship with a prestigious designer in Paris. She didn’t like it so just booked a plane to New York and left. Without warning or notice. It just wasn’t working for Katie in Paris and she didn’t feel the need to “stick it out” for the experience or to please anyone. This attitude is refreshing to find in someone starting out in an industry that has often been described as cruel and cliquish as your worst high school nightmare. She has a clarity of vision and belief in herself that allows her to stay true to her own conviction and not try to follow trends or please the fashion tribes…and in doing so she is quickly gaining a following of her own.