KATRAA

At the age of nineteen, and not fully having found my direction, I began a career as an apprentice in the Sheet Metal Workers Union. Looking back it was probably one of the best decisions I made. I had no idea that fifteen years later I would walk away from the position of foreman, and begin my pursuit of designing high-fashion leather apparel and accessories. KATRAA turned out to be the creative vehicle that would eventually set me free. Like a Raven, I have always been drawn to beautiful shiny things and now I can indulge all of my creative senses and refract these alluring materials within my own idiosyncratic fashion prisim. Knowing how to incorporate these various elements and tailor them in such a way, that they accent the perfection of the physical form, while bringing out the beauty within, is where the challenge lies. "The whole is greater that the sum of its parts" is a consistent theme within all of my collections. The resulting essence are designs that embrace the dynamic of dark and light, yin and yang, while empowering the beauty within. My first creation, a pair of highly detailed leather pants, turned out to be the piece that planted the seed. The response from people who had seen my work was so encouraging, that I decided to do something about it. Though it took six and half years for me to take the leap of faith, and give KATRAA the attention it deserves, I discovered that the mental and physical challenges I overcame, prepared me for this incredible opportunity. I guess you could say, I was in training. So here I am, holding true to my mission of providing the highest quality products, back with impeccable customer service to building a company based on principal and value, and not solely economics. Using my various skills as a conduit, I hope to connect with people and share my passion for doing what I love. In turn I hope to inspire others. This are my gifts, and it is my responsibility to share them with the world.