At 24, Gabrielle Uy is quietly rewriting the rules of music merchandise.
Born in Manila and now based in New York, Uy operates at the intersection of music, fashion, and illustration — but what distinguishes her work is not just aesthetic fluency. It’s intention. Where much of tour merch can feel rushed or logo-driven, Gabrielle designs as if she’s building artifacts for a future archive.
For her, merch isn’t promotional. It’s emotional.
Her defining recent project was serving as Lead Freelance Merchandise Designer for Laufey’s A Matter of Time album and first global arena tour.
The record would go on to win Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The tour would move through major venues including Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. But before the crowds, there were sketches.
What makes the collection resonate is cohesion. The graphics don’t sit on top of the era — they belong to it. Visual references pull from the album’s romantic motifs and stage design, allowing fans to wear something that feels embedded in Laufey’s world rather than stamped with her name.
The now-iconic “Castle in Hollywood” tee became one of the tour’s most recognizable pieces — and unexpectedly bridged into fashion. Designers at Madewell reached out after seeing it, a rare case of tour merch opening doors beyond the music industry.
Uy’s process is rooted in physical experimentation. Paint. Embroidery. Hand-drawn typography. Mixed media.
For artwork inspired by the single “Silver Lining,” she created lettering with real cake icing and sprinkles before translating the tactile piece into final files finished with silver foil stamping. The result retained the softness and imperfection of something handmade while aligning seamlessly with the album’s polished palette.
This commitment to analog craft isn’t nostalgia. It’s strategy. In a hyper-digital culture, texture stands out.
Gabrielle’s understanding of music visuals began at Yale University, where she helped run 17o1 Records, a student label producing flyers and materials for campus bands. It was there she learned that music design must do three things quickly: communicate, connect, and survive in physical space.
She later carried that instinct into professional work at Special Offer Inc, contributing to visuals for Charli XCX’s Brat era and a limited-edition art book tied to the project.
Today, Uy works full-time at multidisciplinary design studio 2×4, balancing branding and strategy work with her freelance music projects.
What Gabrielle Uy understands — and what many brands are only beginning to catch up to — is that fans don’t want disposable merch. They want something that feels like a memory they can hold.
Her work suggests a shift: tour merchandise not as a last-minute revenue stream, but as an extension of storytelling. As wearable art. As evidence that you were there.
In an era obsessed with speed, Gabrielle Uy designs slowly — and that difference shows.
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