Biography
Renée Nicole Gray is a multi-talented fashion historian, writer/playwright, artist, performer, and designer. She holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with concentrations in art history and graphic design from UMass Lowell and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity Association, The Association of Dress Historians, and the Textile Society of America.
Renée launched her performing arts career after relocating from Maine to New York City at eighteen, where she trained in acting and musical theatre at HB Studio and LIU Brooklyn. She went on to appear in a wide range of film and television productions, commercials, print campaigns, and voice-over work. On stage, she has performed lead roles in productions for the NYC Fringe Festival and the Midtown International Theatre Festival and has also contributed as a costume designer for several theatrical works. In 2010 she won a Lady Gaga lookalike contest which unexpectedly led to nearly a decade of performing globally in her acclaimed tribute show "The Lady Gaga Experience".
During this time, Renée portrayed Lady Gaga in productions for MTV, E! Network, in The Fashion Planet on Dutch/German TV, and performed at private events for ABC, Polaroid, Bravo, Lan Kwai Fong (China), The Tower Of David, Resort Worlds Casino, Nordstrom, Citi Field, and at hundreds of private celebrations nationwide. She also headlined Pride events across the country and opened for Rachel Platten at Long Island Pride. While tribute work opened amazing doors, Renée ultimately felt called to pursue her own voice, art, and creative path.
In 2019, she transitioned from impersonator life to focus on design, writing, fashion history, and making original art. She launched her brand and boutique, Leap Day Renée, offering one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces sold online and at curated pop-up events throughout New York City. Her imaginative designs and custom pieces have caught the eye of stylists and performers, and have been worn in music videos and on red carpets. Visit LeapDayRenee.com for more.
As a fashion historian, Renée explores how clothing reflects societal transformation, personal identity, and the times in which it was created. Her primary areas of interest include royal dress and the broader history of costume, with an emphasis on iconic outfits that illuminate the intersection of fashion, status, and cultural influence. Her research can be found at reneenicolegray.com and StreisandStyleFiles.com.
In 2020, Renée returned to college to study graphic design and art history, graduating Summa Cum Laude. After a long hiatus, Renée also returned to playwriting. In 2024 she was among 25 playwrights selected for NYC's Faces of America Monologue Anthology and Festival, where her work was published and performed, and was published in Fresh Words International Literary Magazine's "Shh! Breathe Slow Volume 3" anthology.
