A black and white photo of Cat, a white woman, smiling and looking over her right shoulder. The image is cropped to just the face. Cat has short, curly hair and wears a sleeveless top.

A black and white photo of Cat, a white woman, smiling and looking over her right shoulder. Cat has short, curly hair and wears a sleeveless top.

Cat Burkey is a functional apparel designer

focused on inclusive design.

Catherine approaches inclusive design through the lenses of intersectionality and function, continuously searching for ways to increase usability and reduce environmental and humanitarian harm. She believes strongly in the principles of co-design, and that user experience and feedback play an integral role in the path to the final product.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Catherine attended the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), and graduated with a degree in Fashion Design. She has spent over a decade working in active and outdoor markets in the United States and abroad. She settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where she has spent her career working for performance brands such as Puma, Reebok, ASICS, and NOBULL. She has also worked with a range of freelance clients, including Pedestal Footwear, FORLOH Apparel, and Swiss design studio GRAND.

Catherine was an Open Style Lab 2022 Design Fellow; work from this project debuted at New York Fashion Week and was featured in Vogue, WWD, and various other publications.

Cat Burkey is a functional apparel designer

focused on inclusive design.

reach out.