Kate Phelan has been described as one of the most influential female designers in Britain and internationally. She has had a long standing association with fashion and articles pertaining to the subject appeared regularly in the media. Her style was often cited as an influence on young British fashion designers today who sought her advice and techniques when designing clothes for top celebrities including Kate Moss.
Kate Phelan was born in Scotland where her father was a navy officer and he served in World War Two. As a child she took part in indoor dancing which was a popular activity during the time and this led to her developing an interest in fashion design which would later lead to designing clothing for both men and women. In fact, it was whilst she was studying at the university that she began to experiment with textiles and this led to her working as a designer whilst studying. Kate’s most famous collections include: Love Actually, Hello, You Are My Sunshine, Just a Little Kiss, Pretty Smile, Hello Again, Have Yourself a Merry Little Tea Party, Thank You very much, Take Me Out Sunday and Say Yes.
Kate Phelan began her career as a dressmaker when she was still quite young and her interest in fashion was sparked whilst still studying at university when she saw a display of a set made by John Galliano. This encouraged Kate to put pen to paper and to create her first collection in her own studio. After this first attempt failed, she decided to move into a larger studio where she could work on different projects at a time. Later on she decided to concentrate on wedding gowns and it was here that she would develop her love of textiles and make works that would be displayed at the Royal Academy of Arts. Kate Phelan has remained busy throughout her career, designing for brands such as Burberry, Dior and Calvin Klein as well as being involved with various stage and television shows.