Meet Katy Schildmeyer, a visionary designer and consultant deeply entrenched in the world of fashion. What sets her apart is her remarkable ability to bridge the gap between lived experiences and her craft.

Katy's journey into the realm of clothing commenced at the age of 10. Growing up as the middle child among eight siblings, she faced a unique challenge – none of the hand-me-downs fit her, nor were they in style by the time they reached her. This is when she became aware of just how different bodies could be.  

With no immediate family members skilled in sewing, Katy took it upon herself to explore ways to mend and modify garments by hand. This experience  became the foundation and lense used for her methods of approaching design for the global community. Make products that fit and can be fitted. Stop WASTE, and make purposeful things. 

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College life found Katy in Oregon, where she continued her pursuit of an arts degree. She established a presence at the Portland Saturday Market, a venture her sister had also embarked upon. This marked her maiden foray into producing goods for sale and managing the quality of the products. Her creations were crafted from recycled materials, and her fashion events at local nightclubs were centered around the concept of recycling, all circa 1998. This was already against the trend of buying new clothes. Setting the trend rather than following.  

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In 1999, an opportunity beckoned at Nordstrom, marking the beginning of a multi-year journey managing various departments. Katy specialized in revitalizing struggling departments in terms of sales and training, always with a consumer-centric approach. Her strategic collaborations with buyers, employees, and other stores resulted in astounding growth rates, at times exceeding 40%. She harnessed made-to-measure products to enhance both service and sales. 

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Subsequently, Katy embarked on a new chapter at Banana Republic. Here, she contributed to RFID rollout teams and developed innovative employee training models. Her unwavering focus on the customer experience once again proved instrumental. Katy fostered teams that excelled through experimental techniques, which have since become the blueprint for successful teamwork in diverse business sectors. After four transformative years at BR, she returned to academia to further her knowledge in International Manufacturing and Design.

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Since earning her second degree, Katy has established herself as a sought-after consultant, specializing in brand development from the ground up. Her finely honed analytical skills, financial acumen, people management expertise, operational structuring finesse, and customer-centric design sensibilities are the cornerstones of her approach, cultivated early in her career.

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Currently, Katy serves as a pioneering researcher and architect, guiding brands in navigating the complex terrain of 3D implementation. Her mission is to equip them with a deep understanding of interoperability, sustainability, fit, construction, and mindset. Over the past two years, she has collaborated on publications with IEEE and fellow researchers, shedding light on the challenges of 3D body capture and the needs of 3D apparel fitting. She possesses an intimate knowledge of the hidden intricacies within the world of 3D technology, and above all, Katy is unwavering in her commitment to being an honest and candid advisor to brands. Her authenticity shines through, making her a reliable and forthright guide in the industry, 100% of the time. She believes that designing for the future will be a collaboration with our body's health, technology tools, and the well-being of our environment. She sees the human form as mathematical computations of our health. Therefor the future will blend our apparel with our health and how those two impact sustainable futures. This has been her belief since 2008.

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