Being the creative mind behind the merchandise design for a Grammy-winning album, incorporating analog design into creations for Gen Z, and carving out a place in the fashion world with exquisitely illustrated garments are all part of what design prodigy Gabrielle Uy is accomplishing at just 24 years old.
A Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Yale as of May last year, Gabrielle — just Gabby to friends, family and creative collaborators — has already built an impressive list of design projects spanning multiple Grammy-winning albums, a star ballerina, and some of the biggest names in luxury fashion.
Singer-songwriter Laufey and her album “A Matter of Time,” which just days ago took home the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, represent one of the most significant milestones in Gabrielle’s ascendant career as a graphic designer. The project was developed in collaboration with Junia Lin Jonsdottir — Laufey’s Creative Director and twin sister — and merchandise partner Futureshirts, and reached the designer through a surprise email from the artist’s team.
Gabrielle served as the Lead Freelance Merchandise Designer for both the album launch and the global arena tour, creating a full collection that included core tour T-shirts, crewnecks, posters, and accessories. Her work accompanied Laufey at iconic North American venues such as Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, while also reaching thousands of fans worldwide through online sales. Gabrielle previously also designed merchandise for Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony tour, in which Laufey performed with iconic orchestras across the United States throughout summer 2025.
Gabrielle Uy for Laufey. Images by Gabrielle Uy.
Gabrielle Uy for Laufey. Images by Gabrielle Uy.
Gabrielle Uy for Laufey. Images by Gabrielle Uy.
The impact of merchandise on both tours was immediate. With its icing-inspired lettering — which Gabrielle originally created with real cake icing piped out on a friend’s kitchen counter — The North America tour tee in particular quickly became a fan favorite. Followers shared merch hauls on TikTok that racked up hundreds of thousands of views, confirming that merchandise design is an essential part of an album’s emotional universe.
But Laufey is far from the only major name in Gabrielle Uy’s meteoric rise. Her practice sits at a precise, and increasingly sought-after, intersection of fashion, music, and art, defined by an aesthetic rooted in nostalgia, meticulous detail, and deeply narrative storytelling. She has illustrated for luxury fashion brand Bode’s iconic Senior Cord line, worn by the likes of Harry Styles and Jeff Goldblum. Gabrielle also designed on the team at eight-person design studio Special Offer Inc., responsible for the viral design of Charli XCX’s Brat album and tour — recipient of Best Recording Package at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, and arguably the defining pop cultural moment of 2024.
Alongside her independent work, Gabrielle is currently part of the multidisciplinary studio 2×4 in New York, whose clientele includes legendary fashion houses Chanel and Prada. Gabrielle contributes to both the branding and strategy teams — an unusual predicament at leading design firms, where creatives tend to specialize. Gabrielle’s role is a bespoke position that the studio designed for her in recognition of her rare combination of skills.
Another widely discussed project is the custom bag Gabrielle designed for Isabella Boylston, Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre and a key figure in the fashion world who has collaborated with brands like Dior and Nike. The piece, hand-altered over more than 50 hours using paint, embroidery, and appliqués, was highlighted by Who What Wear and has become a daily accessory for the dancer, accompanying Ms. Boylston to ballet class, rehearsal and to leading performances at some of the world’s most iconic theaters. Ms. Boylston’s bag is part of an extended project called No Love Is Ever Wasted, an ongoing artistic series in which Gabrielle creates one-of-a-kind garments for friends and loved ones. Each piece is designed with a single wearer in mind, and explores a question, memory or experience deeply specific to that person. The designer sees the project as an ever-evolving and constantly expanding series she intends to develop indefinitely.
Gabrielle Uy, No Love is Ever Wasted, 2025.
Gabrielle Uy, No Love is Ever Wasted, 2025.
Gabrielle Uy, No Love is Ever Wasted, 2025.
Part of what sets Gabrielle Uy apart within a digitally driven generation is her commitment to the analog. She embraces digital design software, but also paint, marker, and often even stranger materials: clay, wire, embroidery, coffee cups and cake icing. At a time when digital texture effects and AI image generation software can easily replicate textures, Gabrielle chooses a slower, handcrafted, and deeply intentional path. She describes her interest in analog making as an interest in slowness itself, and in design as an act of paying attention. Gabrielle hopes that this deeply personal sense of care and intimacy shows through in the final product.
At just 24 years old, Gabrielle Uy’s name is already linked to global tours, Grammy Awards, major creative studios, and personal projects that challenge the boundaries between art, graphic design and fashion. Although it is impossible to predict exactly what lies ahead for the designer, her future clearly holds remarkable promise.
Follow Gabrielle on Instagram and explore her website to discover more of her work.
Top image credit – Gabrielle Uy. Image by Lynn Lee
