about eg

the love affair begins: I inherited my love for design from my mother. My obsession for design began in the Merchandise Mart showrooms where I spent my childhood steeped in color, texture, and scale via my mother’s interior design firm. My quest for all things beautiful eventually took me a few blocks east to the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, where I began formal design training.

the fun begins: After a few too many miserable consulting jobs, my mother, Cathy Gallagher, and I began playing with a handful of stones and slowly fashioned a hobby into a business. Less than one year old, our small endeavor grew from a kitchen table operation to Bloomingdales. Waving goodbye to the corporate world, my mother and I started a dynamic partnership.

the tragedy: A short time later, my mother contracted colorectal cancer; she lost her battle 3 months later (get a colonoscopy!!). Cathy Gallagher was my mother, my inspiration, teacher, best-friend, business partner and in short – she was magic.

the fun remains: A year later I peeled myself off the couch to an empty bank account. My father always said, “poverty is a good motivator” and as it turns out he was right. Motivated by my mother’s love and confidence I picked my sorry self up and started designing again.

Today the erin gallagher line is carried in high-end boutiques nationally and internationally, we have our first retail location and a bustling online store. I miss my mother every minute, but I know she’s still working her magic because I’m the luckiest girl I know. Throughout all that has happened I discovered what truly makes me happy and it all leads back to my childhood.

I’m constantly seeking inspiration to push our designs in new directions, never forgetting to inspire the glamour girl in all of us. Everyone deserves to be inspired, be indulged and be creative!