Katy K.
Born
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materNew York University
OccupationFashion designer

Katy K., (born Katy Kattelman) is an American fashion designer and performer who was active in the New York Club 57 scene in the 1980s. Her fashion line, Katy K's Ranch Dressing, began in New York and operated in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]

Early life

Katy Kattelman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2]

Career

1970s-1980s

Katy K. moved from Philadelphia to New York City in 1966 to pursue a degree in elementary education at New York University. She later visited Texas, where she discovered country music and rockabilly style.[2] She started designing western style men's shirts and clothes. She returned in New York City and enrolled at Parsons School of Design in 1978,[2] but never completed her degree. Katy K. found success in designing crinoline skirts. Club 57 opened in New York City. Katy K. was a regular there. Amy Arbus photographed Katy K. and John Sex[3] for her column in The Village Voice, which appears in her book On the Street: 1980-1990. The book is the subject of a 2013 documentary about Arbus called On the Street. Katy K. is featured in the documentary.

1980s-1990s

Nicknamed the "reigning Crinoline Queen" in the 1980s by New York Magazine, Katy K. sold her designs at Fiorucci, Screaming Mimi's, and Patricia Fields.[2] One of her petticoat skirts was worn by Whitney Houston in her video "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."[2] Katy K.'s close friends included Joey Arias, John Sex, Keith Haring, and Klaus Nomi.[4]

Katy K.'s time in New York ended in the 1990s when she moved to Nashville. Opened a store in the 12 South neighborhood.[5] Her store, Katy K.'s Ranch Dressing, was one of the first businesses to move into the neighborhood.

Her second annual fashion show at The Gas Lite Lounge included performances and attendance by Joey Arias and Kitten Natividad.[6]

2000s-2010s

In the 2001 book How the West was Worn: A Complete History of Western Wear, Holly George-Warren called Katy K. one of "several young American fashion designers in the 1990s who sought to emulate and reinvent the golden age of Western wear."[7]

In 2004, Katy K. brought burlesque to Nashville with her show at Mercy Lounge, called Girlesque V. She originated at Exit/In a few years earlier. She said about the show: "Although the acts can be sexy, they are more a celebration of feminine charms, not a pandering to male patrons."[8]

Katy K.'s Ranch Dressing had to closed due to rising rent costs in May 2015.[9]

She was a regular at Club 57 on St. Marks in the 1980s. MoMA curated a show about Club 57 in late 2017.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ Dubois, Alice (August 14, 2005). "Katy K's Ranch Dressing in Nashville". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Pett, Sukey (September 21, 1987). "Cotton-Candy Clothier". New York Magazine. p. 44. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ "On the Street". Amy Arbus. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Resident Alien Klaus Nomi is Back From Outer Space—25 Years After His Death—With a Wondrous New Disc". The Village Voice. January 8, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  5. ↑ Walters, Kevin (March 16, 2014). "Growth rings local fixtures". The Tennessean.
  6. ↑ Duncan, David D. (November 14, 1996). "Sheer Purr-Fection". Nashville Scene. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ George-Warren, Holly (2001). How the West was Worn: A History of Western Wear. Harry N. Abrams. p. 364. ISBN 0810992566.
  8. ↑ Embry, Pat (October 29, 2004). "The art of burlesque blazes on thanks to Katy K and friends". The Tennessean.
  9. ↑ Barchenger, Stacey. "12South pioneer Katy K's to close". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978–1983 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Forget Studio 54 and Mudd: Club 57 Was Where Things Really Went Down". W Magazine. October 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
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