Phoebe Gatta has six months until she graduates from Bethlehem Central High School, but since third grade, she’s known that she wanted to be an artist.
Specifically, Gatta has her eyes set on the fashion world, and she has made a name for herself at a young age with striking and colorful designs.
“I think why I’ve known what I wanted to do is because I’ve been influenced by such strong personalities like my mom, my sister, and my dad,” said Gatta while displaying some of her pieces at her home.
While she has received some of her training at BC High, Gatta has sharpened her skills during weekend and summer college courses offered by the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, along with classes put on by Syracuse University and Marist College.
Gatta has created a multitude of pieces, from quilts with intricate designs to handbags and accessories that she displays through her Facebook page (P. R. G. Designs).
Like any teenager, Gatta has times when she isn’t sure what the future holds. When she starts a piece, however, the picture gets a lot clearer.
“I tell my parents all the time that I can stay up until 2:00 a.m. and not even think an hour has gone by because I’m so involved with the piece that I’m doing, I’m in love with it so much, that I just can’t think of doing anything else,” said Gatta.
Part of her drive and inspiration can be traced back to her mother, Deidre, who has an art background and years of experience as a successful interior designer. That experience has helped her to guide her daughter.
“Being an artist, I actually would take a step back and I wouldn’t say anything unless she would approach me,” said Deidre Gatta. “Then, I would give her sometimes a tough criticism, because I remember my time in college. The professors can be extremely tough on you.”
While offering advice, Deidre Gatta understands what the future could hold for her daughter.
“Being in the profession, I’ve seen people that have the potential, and that don’t,” said Gatta. “She has it, and I feel the colleges that she’s looking at and the classes that she’s taking, she’ll do very well. She knows that it is a long road.”
For now, Phoebe Gatta is creating more designs, mainly accessory pieces. She is exploring more and more opportunities, and has even met with a designer in the Schenectady area to try and land an internship. She knows, however, that she lives a little more than two hours north from New York City, a major fashion hub.
“I am trying to get some things here, but every time I go into the city, I fall in love with it more and more. I’ve always felt like that’s where I’ve wanted to be,” said Gatta.
Gatta said she pictures herself as an assistant designer or owning her own boutique. However, she remains grounded and knows she has to take things one step at a time.
“She’s one of these very fortunate students where she knows where she wants to be,” said Deidre Gatta.
