Katie Gallagher thrills with Gris-Gris

image: S.Whittle for Style WyldeDesigning with the mass-market in mind is something Katie Gallagher is clearly not concerned about doing. Nor are you likely to find her doing a GO! International line any time soon. Instead, Gallagher is making her mark as a leader in a group of young designers who are putting their artistic points of view at the center of their work, and bringing expressionism, creativity, and a much needed jolt of energy back to the fashion industry.

image:S.Whittle for Style WyldeSunday night at Milk Studio's Gallagher showed her Fall 2011 collection, Gris-Gris, to a much appreciative crowd of industry professionals, art gallery regulars and a handful of  'celebrity' bloggers; all of whom were buzzing with excitement over her work.

image:S.Whittle for Style WyldeWalking the fine line between avant-garde and costumey is something many designers struggle with, but Gallagher did it deftly using her impressive tailoring skills, and sharp eye for detail to create a collection that was both expressive of her distopian futuristic point of view, and still viable as real world wearable pieces. 

image:S.Whittle for Style WyldeAmping up the drama in the collection with heavily blackened eyes, and a cyborg-esque eye detail that appeared to be made-of mesh netting, Gallagher delivered  both the 'show' and the cutting edge 'fashion' elements that many have said left the tents years ago.

For more information on Katie Gallagher, visit the designer's official web home.