An esteemed New York fashion designer whose clothing Lady Gaga wore was killed by a deadly cocktail of drugs that included fentanyl in an apparent robbery attempt, authorities said.
Katie Gallagher, 35, was found “unresponsive” in bed in her Lower East Side apartment with “no obvious signs of trauma” on July 24 last year.
But the New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed in a statement today that his death had become a murder investigation, though no arrests have yet been made.
The medical examiner’s office said he died from “drug-facilitated robbery,” with fentanyl, ethanol and p-fluorofentanyl found in his system. nbc reports.
It’s unclear how the drugs were administered into his system or if anything was stolen from his apartment.
The death of Katie Gallagher has now been ruled a homicide after she was found unconscious in her lower east side apartment last July.
Gallagher had a large number of famous fans. He is pictured with model Chrissy Teigen in 2014.
Gallagher’s death shocked the fashion world last year, with a Fashion tribute labeling her a ‘fiercely independent’ and a ‘hands-on craftswoman’.
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, she studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she caught the eye of Lady Gaga’s stylist, Nicola Formichetti.
Gallagher dressed Gaga even before she graduated from school and later Kourtney Kardashian and Rita Ora also wore his items.
In 2016, transgender activist Laverne Cox wore one of Gallagher’s outfits in a photo shoot for Cosmopolitan.
An obituary of the late designer published by her sisters described her as a “gifted and innovative pattern maker and seamstress”.
“Like AA Milne’s Eeyore, she preferred gloomy days and cold rain,” it read.
“As a child, she was drawn to the forest, mixing potions and playing there with her sisters.
The animals were attracted to his friendly and calm demeanor. She could talk to them and once even touched a deer in the stillness of the trees.
She went on to say that she “loved poetry and heavy metal” and “felt deeply” with “a huge, forgiving heart.”
Kourtney Kardashian appears in a Gallagher design in 2019
Gallagher’s designs have also been worn by a host of celebrities, including Lady Gaga, left, and Rita Ora, right.
“Most recently, after helping to arrange flowers for one of her sister’s weddings, she became a talented, self-taught florist in New York and briefly in Los Angeles,” the obituary continues.
Gallagher was about to turn 36 when he died.
It is not known if he was in a relationship or if he was living with someone else at the time of his death.
She was dating Russian graphic designer Nikolay Saveliev and had occupied an apartment with him since 2010, according to a profile on refinery29 this year.
Shortly after his death, Saveliev said Fashion: ‘I was obsessed with really technical pattern making; That was something she was really proud of, which is why she spent a lot of time researching Balenciaga and Pierre Cardin patterns.
“She didn’t want to build anything that was traditional tailoring in any way, she always wanted to subvert it.”
As of 2010 she was in a relationship with graphic designer Nikolay Saveliev. Shortly after his death, Saveliev told Vogue that Gallagher was expected to make do with “crumbs” due to the unpredictable nature of the fashion industry.
Vogue described the late fashion designer as “fiercely independent” and a “hands-on craftsman.” It is not known if he was in a relationship at the time of his death or if he was living with someone else.
He added: “She was always fascinated by transience and death, and of course in context it’s a bit sad.”
Saveliev went on to suggest that Gallagher struggled with the unpredictability of high-end fashion.
‘The thing about fashion is that it gives you fragmented ideas of feeling really good and really important; like you’re totally broke, but then you end up getting invited to Cannes, or whatever,” he said.
‘You get little crumbs here and there and they feel really great. I think Katie really made do with the crumbs.
His latest Instagram showed a sketch he had drawn of some bats, with the caption: “I draw and paint, you know.”
Last week, his sisters announced via GoFundMe that they would be hosting a celebration of his life and work in New York in May.
The family had been raising funds to finish and display her 27th fashion collection that she had been working on in the months leading up to her death.
“Katie loved stories and chose to tell them through fashion,” the page read.
“Though our hearts ache, we have found some solace in the ambition to continue to honor Katie’s dreams and make sure her story is told.
“As of Friday, the page had raised just over $30,000.”
‘Drug-facilitated robbery’ was listed as the cause of death in two separate incidents in New York last year.
Both Julio Ramírez, 25, and John Umberger, 33, died from a cocktail of fentanyl, cocaine, lidocaine and ethanol found in their blood. Ramírez had also taken heroin.
Gallagher was found in bed in her lower east side apartment in New York, pictured
Models wearing Gallagher’s design pose during a show at New York Fashion Week in 2012
The duo were found dead after leaving gay bars in Hell’s Kitchen, with both their bank accounts wiped out.
There’s no reason to believe their deaths are related to Gallagher’s.
Dailymail.com has contacted the Gallagher family for comment.