About the designer

Katie Rose is a multidisciplinary designer specializing in womenswear, with more than five years of experience across fashion, product development, manufacturing, and technical design. Her work has included brands and organizations such as Emmelle Design, SHEIN, FLYN Costello, and General Dynamics.

With expertise spanning both 2D and 3D design software—including Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, and CLO 3D—Katie pairs a strong technical foundation with an experimental, detail-driven creative practice. Her design work often explores unconventional silhouettes, all-over abstract and illustrative prints, and the intersection of traditional garment construction with computer-aided design.

Her career has followed an unconventional path from circus artist to fashion designer to marine designer, combining imagination and visual storytelling with highly technical problem-solving. At Emmelle Design, Katie helped develop product-tracking systems for third-party manufactured and licensed products and supported the successful management of CFDA Fashion Manufacturing Initiative grant applications in 2023 and 2024. Following the award of funding, she contributed to factory expansion and renovation projects, as well as the installation of automated manufacturing machinery supporting the growth of garment production in New York City.

Her experience spans the full apparel development process, including concept development, materials sourcing, technical design, patternmaking, garment construction, production, and manufacturing. More recently, her transition into ship design at General Dynamics expanded her technical practice into large-scale engineering and marine design, demonstrating her ability to quickly learn complex systems and translate creative problem-solving across disciplines.

After returning to Maine from New York City in early 2024, Katie reconnected with the Portland arts community. She also teaches sewing classes at Factory 3, sharing practical garment construction and sewing techniques with students of varying experience levels. She continues to expand her own practice through independent design work, competitions, and exhibitions, including Spain’s BIAAF international design competition and multiple shows in Portland, Maine including: Makers Way, STITCH by The Maine Craft Association, and Runway for Hope.