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About Us

Meet the Team Header Shot

The Story Behind
Katherine's Collection

From Humble Beginnings to Serving the Top Retailers in America

For over 30 years, Katherine’s Collection has been dedicated to creating a broad range of high quality, original, handcrafted products each year. Each year Katherine’s design team identifies significant trends in color, fashion and style which serve as the foundations for our newest collections. We pride ourselves on delighting our collectors around the world with original character dolls, handcrafted creations, and holiday décor.

Although today our brand can be found in large and small retailers around the world, we have never strayed from our roots, and continue to value our relationships with each and every dealer regardless of size. Every signature piece is developed in our design studios in northeast Ohio. In the age of 3D printing and automation, handcrafted pieces of superior quality have become increasingly rare. That is why we are so committed to hiring the most talented artists in our industry. Our design team has extensive skills that include pattern making, sculpting, painting, and illustrating.

Our artisanal approach has not stopped us from becoming an internationally requested brand and developing new unique collections each year. As leaders in holiday décor, our products are available in fine retail shops around the world.

Our business team is headed by CEO, Gary Giller, and COO, Lynn Labes, who together bring over 60 years of professional experience to the company.

As we enter our fourth decade, we pledge to maintain our commitment to provide quality and sophistication to our cherished collectors and select retailers who share our vision.

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Meet the Team

Gary Giller photo 2
Chief Executive Officer
Gary Giller

Most of Gary’s career has been in consumer products: with a focus on strategic matters, product development, and execution. In addition, he has considerable understanding and experience in purchasing and importing products from overseas. Gary also started A & F Designs, based in Manila, Philippines. This company was founded in 2012 to produce products for the global consumer seasonal market and product development also focused on holiday decorative items.
Gary lives in Cleveland, OH and has active interest in music, travel, and spending time with his family. He received an undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and an M.B.A. from the Weatherhead School of management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Lynn Labes photo 2
Chief Operating Officer
Lynn Labes

Lynn’s responsibilities include; oversight of the product development and buying process, management of national accounts, direct accountability for the showrooms, all IT functions including digital activity and coordinating all sales and marketing activities. Ms. Labes has been with the Company since 2012. Earlier in her career she was a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman and a department manager at Jacobson Stores, both of which provided excellent experience and understanding of retail and the importance of developing products to meet the customer’s needs. Lynn received an undergraduate degree from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, and an M.B.A. from the Weatherhead School of management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Lynn lives in Cleveland, OH and enjoys spending time with her family and her 3 dogs. In addition, Lynn is a total ‘nerd’ who tutors math and physics in her free time.

Carol Jagersz Artist Photo
Director of Collections; Designer
Carol

Carol’s passion for design began when she was a young child, sewing clothes for her dolls with scraps of leftover fabric from her mother. Together, they would handmake each of Carol’s Halloween costumes, which sparked her love of Halloween. She then went on to graduate with a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Kent State University.

Over the course of her career, Carol has gained a wide variety of experience with many big names in the industry. She has interned with Zac Posen, assisted with the 2006 RTW Collection and Oscar Ceremony gowns, prepped garments for InStyle Magazine photoshoots, and even collaborated on a design concept presentation for Virgin Atlantic Airways. Perhaps most notably, she worked for Vera Wang for seven years, producing custom wedding and haute couture gowns for special clients.

Each of her past experiences has prepared Carol for her role at Katherine’s Collection as director of collections and designer and patternmaker. From the moment she entered the showroom, she felt at home among the explosion of colors, trims, and glitter. Carol never feels as though she is at work when she steps through the doors at Katherine’s Collection, because it is the place where she is able to fully explore her creativity and bring her sparkly ideas to life.

Theresa Lozinski Artist Photo
Senior Designer
Theresa

Theresa is an award winning graduate of the Cleveland Institue of Art who spent over 25 years as a wallpaper and product designer before joining the Katherine’s team.

Theresa has been a part of the Katherines team for over 10 years as a designer, painter and sculptor.

In her free time, Theresa enjoys painting, gardening and spending time with her 5 grandchildren.

Kerry Bauer Artist Photo
Designer
Kerry

Kerry is a native of Ohio where her love of sewing, crafts, and apparel construction began at a very early age when she constructed and displayed outfits for a local 4-H fair. By the age of 18, Kerry was designing and constructing costumes for Sea World in Aurora, Ohio. She received a B.F.A. In costumes from Kent State University and an M.F.A. In Costume Technology and Design from Ohio University.

Excelling in the technical aspects of apparel construction, Kerry began her career working as a first hand for Santa Fe Opera, Boulder Shakespeare and a Craft/Milliner at Washington D.C. Opera.

In pursuit of continuing her arts, Kerry moved to Los Angeles and worked as a Draper, Figure Finisher and Fabricator for special effects shops such as Animal Makers, Creature Effects, and Jim Henson Creature shop. Some of her accomplishments included, Lead Draper for Netflick’s “Dark Crystal; age of resistance,” Bellagio’s of Las Vegas “Year of the Dragon,” and “Year of the Horse”. As a freelancer, Kerry also operated her own business as costumesbykerryjo.com, whose clients included the Target Dog, Dole’s Morris the Cat, Career Builder commercials, Nickelodeon and Universal Studios.

Bauer returned to Ohio to be with family and teach at Kent State University, dividing her teaching time between the Fashion School and the School of Theater and Dance. During summer break, she discovered a company called “Katherine’s Collection” where she is a Draper and Fabricator, designing and building Holiday themed samples.

After working 5 summers, as of 2022, Kerry joined the Katherine’s Collection team full time as a Product Designer and Developer. She notes, “this job was made for me, it embodies the love of all my crafts as a draper/cutter, sewer, milliner, beader, painter, and fabricator.”

Kat Meade Artist Photo
Designer
Kat

Katherine “Kat” is product designer with special skills as a seamstress.
Growing up, Kat collected Batman comic books and was a lover of all things fantasy and magical. Through this, she discovered the wonderful world of cosplay, the art of creating costumes based on movies, tv shows, comic books, and anime. Because of cosplay, she became a self-taught seamstress, pattern maker, wig styler, prop builder, and makeup artist. Developing these skills, Kat was accepted into the Fashion School at Kent State University where she would learn design and construction. Later Kat transferred to Kent State University’s Theatre School where she was able to further her training in design, sewing, and prop making. Kat was hired by Katherine’s Collection as a seamstress, but quickly grew into her role as a product developer and designer. Kat enjoys working for KC because she can use all of the skills she developed through cosplay and her professional training at Kent State. She has found that the creation of the dolls and their stories is her favorite part of the creative process at KC because of the limitless options. Kat’s Cosplay and theatre experience became the foundation in her development of new and creative holiday themes and designs. In collaboration with the other artists, she creates characters beginning with a sketch and swatches and sees this through to a completed product. Working in a collaborative office with other talented artists has allowed Kat to continue learn, share, and develop her skills in many different areas.

Lisa Crowe photo for web
Customer Service Manager
Lisa

Lisa was first introduced to Katherine’s Collection as a buyer in 2000 and was completely enchanted by Katherine’s captivating visual product displays. By January 2001 she was assisting in our former Atlanta showroom and became showroom manager in 2004. She stepped away from managing in 2012 but stayed on board working seasonally with our visual design team. Today, Lisa brings her extensive experience within the company to assist in all aspects of sales and customer service.

Outside of business hours, you can find Lisa perusing for mid-century furniture at flea markets or searching for 50’s & 60’s barware at local thrifts. She recently purchased a 120 yr. old house in Savannah, GA that she and her husband plan to renovate.

Halloween is her favorite holiday, and she has been known to keep some of her Katherine’s Halloween decor out year-round.

Julie photo for web
Customer Service Representative
Julie

Julie comes to Katherine’s Collection with a background in travel, business, and computer networking. She began working for Katherine’s Collection in 2004 and spent 14 years in the Atlanta showroom. Currently, Julie works in sales and customer service, bringing her dedicated years of experience and product knowledge to help our customers with everything from order assistance through to the management and delivery of products to your door.
In her free time, Julie designs jewelry and enjoys drawing and painting. She has recently discovered that she has a bit of a green thumb, a love of plants and passion for gardening. Counting down to Christmas is one of Julie’s favorite holiday traditions.

Karla Fucio photo
Product Development Manager
Karla
Chito Prieto photo 2
Creative Director
Chito
Raymond's photo
Chief Design Officer
Raymond

Raymond has a degree in Commercial Arts and Advertising from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila Philippines. He has been designing for Katherine’s Collection for over 12 years. He gets his design inspiration from everyday things and happenings, his love for movies, food and of course his family. With the right kind of “feel good” music playing in the background he creates art pieces that will add just the right amount of drama, festive or whimsy to your space.

Create Your Difference with Katherine's Collection

For over 30 years, Katherine’s Collection has been dedicated to creating a broad range of original, top-quality products each year.

Our Factory

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Our Production Team is Part of the Katherine’s Collection Family

The importance Katherine’s Collection places on our team coupled with our passion for craftsmanship is what led us to start our factory, Andrews & Frank Design House, Inc. in Manila, The Philippines. Our dedication to our employees has been critical to our success, and this commitment has led to the long-term retention of experienced and highly skilled employees.

Managing our own production has allowed us to maintain the high caliber of design and quality that our buyers have come to expect from us. We have a team of brilliant creatives on-site who are able to oversee the product development and execution of each handmade piece.

Having our own factory also allows us to develop and manufacture exclusive products and private label collections. Interested in having Katherine’s Collection develop custom products for you?