Q1 At what age did you encounter your interest in fashion design? Where did you study?
I have always really liked fashion design. My interest in it became very apparent when in 8th grade, I didn't have anything to wear to a school awards ceremony so I drafted and constructed a new dress for myself. It was AWFUL construction-wise but I didn't even notice! My grandmother gave me sewing lessons as a young girl and once I decided in college that fashion design wasn't just a hobby, but I could do it as a career, I switched from a pre-med Biology major to a Fashion design major at Indiana University. After college, I worked for Polo Ralph Lauren in NYC first as a technical designer and later as a product merchant.

Q2 Who would you say has been the most influential person in your life?
The most influential person in my life this far is my Dad. He is an entrepreneur and has always encouraged me to do my own thing as well as taught me some great lessons about what it takes to run your own business.

Q3 Let's talk about your design. What do you think is the most important element?
The most important element to my design and Kate Boggiano as a brand, is quality and fit. Although these are not specific design elements, they are at the forefront of every design that I do and I make sure that the overall design details will always enhance the quality and fit of the garment.

Q4 What was your best experience as a designer?
My best experience as a designer has simply been owning my own business and attending retail events or selling to boutiques and having our customers tell us how great our quality and fit are. The fact that people are buying something that I am making is the best experience I could ever hope for as a designer!

Q8 Who is your customer, and how do they find you?
I have a few different customers. I have an online customer who buys our tank tops and leggings and just is looking for inexpensive basics. They all come to us from our paid online advertising. Our 2nd customer is one that is a professional woman 25-50 looking for things she can wear to work that are feminine but also fit really well and will look good after 5 when she meets her girlfriends for a cocktail. Oftentimes, she shops at Anne Fontaine but is looking for an alternate shirting line that has more color to it. She finds us right now by accident. We are working on getting to her in the next year through marketing our brand better through press and distribution. Our 3rd customer is someone that wants a button down shirt desperately but can't fit into off the rack sizing. She is our custom shirt customer. She finds us by word of mouth and also online through paid advertising.

Q9 Favorite place to see art?
As a fashion designer, I find that I see art all the time in everything! The way a tree looks or something on the sidewalk reminds me of some detail that we have been trying to figure out but couldn't quite understand. To me that is art. In the more usual sense, I love going to museums and galleries. I think the gallery setting can be very intimate and a great experience alone or with your friends.

Q10 Would you like to add anything for the Japanese fans?
I am just flattered that I have some! Japan is such an interesting market to me and I love how spot on the style is there. I would love to start expanding our market over there and hearing some feedback. We'll see what we can do!