When Clothing Becomes Storytelling: A Conversation with Gunnar Deatherage

By Kevin Murphy Wilson • Photos By Christopher Minafo

As far as fashion and costume designers go, Gunnar Deatherage is in a rather enviable position. HIs social media platforms boast millions of followers, his list of big name clients includes Lady Gaga, Shakira, Chappell Roan, and his stunning sewing pattern kits are available and accessible [via his online storefront] to even us non-stars. We recently caught up with the enigmatic artist [who is originally from our neck of the woods and once worked closely with this publication] to hear about Deatherage’s craft, his initial breakout on “Project Runway,” and his upcoming return to the area for a special project with KyCAD’s Experimental Fashion program [headed up by fellow designer Vincent Tiley] in the Fall.

VOICE-TRIBUNE: Please tell us a bit about your background and the experience you had growing up in this part of the country.  

Gunnar Deatherage: “I am originally from the Hanover/Madison, Indiana area, and honestly I really credit that upbringing with shaping the way I see creativity. I began my journey in the Louisville area by attending cosmetology school at Ideal Beauty Academy in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I actually worked in salons doing hair while pursuing fashion design on the side, and I found myself surrounded by this really wonderful group of people who genuinely believed in me and my talent before I fully believed in myself. That support meant everything. As far as fashion goes, I’m entirely self-taught. I grew up around quilters, crafters, and grandmothers who saw that I loved making clothing and slowly passed their knowledge down to me over time. They taught me how to read patterns, how to construct garments, and honestly how to problem-solve creatively. Looking back now, I realize how lucky I was to grow up around people who made things with their hands. My grandparents and my mom were all makers in different ways, from sewing to woodworking to decorating to figuring out how to fix things with whatever was lying around the house. Creativity was never treated like this lofty, unattainable thing in my family, it was just part of life. At its core, sewing really is just problem-solving, and I think I’ve loved problem-solving since I was a kid. But fashion specifically clicked for me when I started watching ‘Project Runway’ with my mom. I remember feeling this almost weird gravitational pull toward it. I loved the glamour of it, the artistry, the idea of so many people seeing your designs at once. It just felt exciting in a way I couldn’t explain at the time. I definitely did not realize I’d end up on the show myself the first time I auditioned though… which, looking back now, feels slightly insane. Ha.”

VT: Are there any specific artists or designers that inspired you or that you wanted to emulate, or alternatively were there any that you knew you didn't want to be like?

GD: “At the time I got on ‘Project Runway,’ I was only about 21 years-old, so honestly I still felt like such a baby in terms of understanding the industry, how fashion worked, or even fully understanding myself as a designer. I don’t think I had enough experience yet to feel negatively about anybody or consciously think, ‘I don’t want to be like that.’ I mostly just wanted to immerse myself in everything as deeply as possible. When I look back at that younger version of myself almost sixteen years later, what stands out to me most is how sponge-like I was. I wanted to absorb every bit of knowledge, strategy, and experience that I possibly could. The determination was honestly kind of wild thinking about it now. I was just so hungry for it. I will say, at the time I was really enamored with the Louis Vuitton shows by Marc Jacobs, the Chanel Runway shows of the early 2000s, and of course, Alexander McQueen. One thing that is worth noting is that there were a few designers in the Louisville area at that time that I was always thankful to have around me. It was nice to know that other people were also making clothing and we could bounce ideas off each other when we needed each other! Shoutout to Fhonia Ellis, Amanda Dare, Frankie Lewis, Genna Yussman, and my milliner friend Jenny Pfanenstiel of Formé Millinery!”

VT: How have your materials and processes evolved over the years? And how would you describe your designs to someone who has not seen them?  

GD: “At this point in my career, I think I’ve kind of crossed over into becoming more of a costume designer versus a traditional fashion designer, and honestly that’s a place I’m really excited to be in. I spent so long thinking I wanted to exist in the fashion industry in the most traditional sense, but over time I realized how commerce-driven so much of that world can become, and sometimes the storytelling gets lost once everything is reduced down to a sale. What I love so much about the audience I’ve built online is that people connect to the stories behind the garments just as much as the garments themselves. That’s the part that excites me most. For me, clothing is world-building. It’s fantasy, emotion, nostalgia, escapism, and character development. I’m less interested in ‘What’s trending?’ and more interested in ‘How does this make someone feel?’ Obviously, when I was living in Louisville my access to materials was pretty limited to Hancock Fabrics and JOANN Fabrics, so I really had to learn how to make things work with what I had available. You become resourceful very quickly that way. After living in Los Angeles and New York for the last eleven years, needless to say the materials I now have access to are dramatically more exciting and expansive. The closure of JOANN makes me really sad for younger designers and crafters. So much of the magic of fabric comes from physically touching it and stumbling across something unexpected in person. There’s something really inspiring about wandering through aisles and discovering a material you didn’t even know existed. That tactile experience is such an important part of the creative process.”

VT: When did you begin to get noticed by some of the more fabulous people in the music industry? Who are some of the artists you have worked with or are currently working with?

GD: “I think having a following of almost 7 million across YouTube/Instagram/TikTok helped! But I think a lot of my visibility came from simply not being afraid to put myself out there. I reached out to stylists directly. I introduced myself. I showed the work. I think people sometimes underestimate how much access we actually have now because of the internet. If you’re willing to take the initiative, you can genuinely connect with people doing incredible things. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to create costumes for artists including Lady Gaga, Shakira, Chappell Roan, Lainey Wilson, and Sierra Ferrell, much [of them] with my fiancé, Christopher Minafo, which is very exciting. I actually just completed my latest costume for Shakira’s world tour, which was especially surreal because it was seen live by more than two million people in Brazil. That’s one of those moments where you sort of have to step outside yourself for a second and go, ‘Wait… this is real?’ At this point, though, my biggest dream is really to move further into large-scale costume design for stage and film. I would absolutely love to design for Broadway or for a very costume-heavy historical film or fantasy project. I love when clothing becomes part of the storytelling itself.”

VT: What sort of things do you have coming up? Can you share any details about your return to the area in the Fall to work with Vincent Tiley and KyCAD?

GD: “One of the less glamorous parts of this industry is that so much of it is wrapped up in NDAs, so unfortunately I can’t share too much about future projects just yet. But I am incredibly excited about returning to Kentucky and working with Kentucky College of Art + Design in November. It feels really meaningful to return to the area where so much of my creative foundation was built. I cherish it every time I’m back, and love to see how it has grown. I think when you grow up in smaller towns, creative careers can sometimes feel very far away or unrealistic, and if my story helps make that path feel even slightly more tangible for someone else, that means a lot to me.”

For more information, visit gunnardeatherage.com.