Gates has starred in campaigns for Miu Miu (by Steve Meisel), Costume National, and Target. She also appeared on the July/August 2011 cover of Jalouse magazine. She is currently signed to M Model Management.
In 2012, Gates graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in experimental theater from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
Gates appeared in 2015's Ricki and the Flash as Emily. She also co-wrote and produced A Space Program, a 2015 docudrama, with Artist Tom Sachs. The film received a positive review from The New York Times.
As of May 2016, Gates resides on the Upper West Side of New York City.
Gates had a small role as "drugged-out mother" in David Lynch's 2017 reboot of Twin Peaks on Showtime.
