Katherine Parr

Katherine Parr (neé Gibbs, born August 14, 1978) is an American designer, entrepreneur, educator, and former fashion model. She has been recognized by the Fulbright Specialist Program of the U.S. Department of State. {{cite web | url = https://issuu.com/villanovaschoolofbusiness/docs/vsb_fall_2024_single_pages_final_shannon_wilson
| website: Villanova University Magazine | title: International Fellowship Awards | page: 22 | author: Shannon Wilson 
==Early Life and Education==
Katherine is the daughter of educators and was raised in the coast of New Jersey. Her maternal grandfather was Paul Fredricks, a trumpeter in the Big Bands of the 1940s. Katherine attended Sea Girt Elementary School and Manasquan High School. She received a B.S. Business Administration at Villanova University’s School of Business. 
 {{cite web| url = https://issuu.com/villanovaschoolofbusiness/docs/vsb_fall_2024_single_pages_final_shannon_wilson
| website: Villanova University Magazine | title: International Fellowship Awards | page: 22 | author: Shannon Wilson 
==Career==
===Fashion and Education Work===
Following graduation from Villanova University, she began her career as a fashion model in New York City. Discovered by French fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, Katherine was featured as a model in runways shows, magazine editorial spreads, print and television advertising, and as a model and businesswoman for fashion designers in-house. She worked for clients including Piaggio-Vespa, Diane Von Furstenberg, Vivienne Tam, Revlon, Vincent Longo, Alice and Olivia, and many others in the fashion, beauty, fitness, and consumer product industries in the New York and European fashion markets.
. Katherine and her creative work have been featured inside, and on the cover of, numerous media outlets including Italian Vogue, Elle, L'Officiel, Tatler Hong Kong, Tatler Malaysia, Tatler Philippines, Town and Country, and CNN.
Katherine was featured on CNN World News: Mission: Impossible segment for her career change from a private sector fashion career to work in public education in the Title One school district of Long Branch Public Schools, New Jersey. She left her fashion career to earn her teaching certification through enrollment in New Jersey’s Alternate Route Teaching Program where she worked for 5.5 years as a teacher and developing programs 
===Design and Business Entrepreneurship Work===
Katherine's jewelry and decorative artwork has been exhibited in New York and Europe. It has been sold online and in various boutiques and museums including 1stDibs.com, and special curations at the Morgan Library and Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. 
As a designer, Katherine and her work have been featured inside and on the covers of media outlets including Town & Country Tatler Hong Kong, Tatler Malaysia, Tatler Philippines , L‘Officiel, and Elle, and Palm Beach Illustrated. In 2016, she co-founded a second ethical luxury brand, Parré Chocolat, an premium chocolate company, that works with farmers in Latin America to provide fair trade, luxury chocolate to consumers in the United States.
==Charitable Work and Awards==
Katherine is active on several charitable boards with a focus on education and economic empowerment for women 
Katherine has been awarded for her entrepreneurship and advisory work by the Fulbright Specialist Program, a program of the U.S. Department of State, overseen by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, whereby American industry experts are selected to advise overseas universities and governments.
 
Category:1978 births
Category:Villanova University alumni
Category:American designers
Category:Entrepreneurs
Category:Educators