Perfectly poised to deliver on the insatiable desire for luxe activewear, which translates from gym to street (and beyond), the Kate Galliano collection continues its meteoric rise — sparked when her sell-out signature rompers took the world by storm, becoming a firm favourite with influencers and a viral hit on Tik Tok.
Russian-born, Japan-raised and now Sydney-based, athleisure’s new ‘it girl’ Kate Galliano burst onto the scene two years ago with her luxe activewear, and her star continues rising.
With buttery soft fabrics and sleek cuts, the collection looks equally as chic in action as they do dressed up with a blazer and heels for a Hailey Bieber or Kendall Jenner-inspired look. Kate’s rompers and luxe tracksuits have been flying off shelves and are known for their comfort as much as their street appeal.
Despite successful appearances, the story behind the brand is a real rags-to-riches tale. Kate left her native Russia as a child and was raised in Japan, where she started modelling as a teenager. Coming from a poor family, she knew she wanted to start her own business so saved to go to university in Sydney — all self-funded at the age of 18. After graduating from business school, she developed her brand, inspired by the Bondi crowd and merging her love of fashion and fitness.
FashioNZ caught up with Kate to find out what motivates her to succeed.
Where did your love of athleisure come from?
My love of fashion has always been a part of me. As a teenager growing up in Japan, I modelled for other brands, doing runway shows which made me want to create my own fashion line one day. It was my childhood dream. When I moved to Sydney, I fell in love with fitness and the gym. It’s such an active city, something I had not experienced in Japan. Morning walks are just something everyone does and going to the gym is just a way of life here, with people staying in activewear all day. This is where I decided to fuse my love for fashion and fitness and come up with pieces that can work all day.
Can you describe your range?
I have evolved over the past two years. Kate Galliano has all the key activewear pieces such as leggings, bike shorts, sports bras, and bodysuits, but we’re best known for our luxe tracksuits and, of course, the rompers. I never expected the rompers to be such a sell-out hit, but we’re constantly on backorder. They are popular all over the world. The philosophy behind the brand is to offer pieces that can work from the gym or a walk but then can be carried through the day and styled as such. They are pieces for your daily wardrobe.
What are your favourite pieces from your collection and how do you like to style them?
I love the romper; it’s my number-one go-to. I wear it every day to the gym, run errands, coffee, brunch, literally any activity. I style it with a Luxe 23 jumper, especially now that it’s cold, or with a classic oversized -black blazer. I’ve even worn it with a blazer and heels for evening drinks.
Who are your celebrity influencers?
I definitely love the LA cool girl look. So, lots of LA celebrities fit the brief like Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Cardi B.
How would you describe your personal style?
My brand is my personal style. I developed it as a range of pieces I would love to wear. I, of course, love to pair my pieces with classic oversized blazers and designer bags and heels. They elevate the overall look. I think that is the key to athleisure dressing — to invest in a luxury handbag and some on-trend Adidas or New Balance trainers and style your activewear with these elevated pieces. As I said before, I even add heels to the romper and leggings and wear them for evening drinks.
You’re completely self-made. Where did this drive and ambition come from?
It actually came from being broke. I grew up in poverty, and I was so motivated by that. I didn’t want to end up like my parents. Seeing them struggle their whole life, living paycheck to paycheck, not having any purpose and passion, made me realise I don’t want to live like that. My Dad used to say ‘we are just cursed, nothing good will ever happen to our family’. I just refused to believe that; the ‘curse’ ends here.
What is your secret to success?
I truly believe it’s discipline, resilience, good habits, and knowing why you do what you do. When you get your mind and body right, everything else follows. Getting clear on my goals and my ‘why’ has helped me cultivate the routine and structure in my life that has helped me achieve what I have today.
What is the best business advice you’ve been given?
‘Don’t focus on doing it perfectly, focus on doing’. Taking action is my number-one piece of advice. Just don’t sit back and wait for the right moment. The right moment is now. If you’re too scared to start something new as you’re waiting for the right time, the right moment, well there never is and often this can paralyse us and lead to inaction and is just a waste of time and energy. You learn best by taking action, making mistakes and growing from them.
What’s next for you?
Other than focusing on our designs and dropping new collections, we’re looking for more stockists and some in New Zealand are in the pipeline. We want to expand the business globally with more stockists as well as continue to grow our e-commerce store. In the meantime, we offer express shipping to New Zealand online.
Images supplied