K A T E M C K E N N A
a b o u t m e
As a child, I would ask my parents to put on Disney’s, Sleeping Beauty, so I could watch the scene where Aurora’s fairy Godmothers prepared for her 16th birthday by making her a dress. For some reason, that small three-minute scene was enough to spark an idea in my small, five-year old brain; I wanted to make dresses, too. Flash forward almost twenty years later, and I’m spending hours hovering over a table drafting patterns, drawing designs, and sewing seams in order to graduate with my B.F.A in fashion design- the only thing I’m missing is the magic wand!
Throughout my studies, I’ve primarily focused on eveningwear & bridal design. I love the romance and happiness that comes with creating a gown for someone’s special event and knowing that I'm providing a memory with every stitch. Though I consider myself an eveningwear designer, I am equally interested in all categories of the fashion industry & feel that I am capable of designing for a number of different individuals.
With my studies, and especially my senior collection development, I've honed a skill for abstract and conceptual thinking. I've really learned how to extract every aspect from my inspirations and explore them in full detail. I enjoy the whole design process and push the boundaries in early developmental stages in order to have designs that consistently stand out.
I am most passionate about sustainable fashion, and keeping every part of garment production in the United States. Growing up on the Jersey Shore, my entire childhood involved the ocean. When you live so closely to nature, you learn to appreciate and care for it. Learning about the impact that many manufacturing practices have on the environment, while also knowing how massive the fashion industry is, I know there is plenty of room to make changes and improve how clothing is produced. I have had the privilege of learning from professors who worked in fashion when the famed NYC garment district was at its prime, and it is a goal of mine to bring this ideal back. If I am to be remembered, I want to be remembered as a designer who made fashion matter in a way that’s not just for materialistic purposes. I want to use fashion and design as a way to help people, improve society and make a difference- and this is something I aspire to achieve, even if I don't have the help of fairy Godmother's to do so.