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Design Director & Merchandiser- Catherine Malandrino
Aug 2016 - Present (8 years 2 months)
o Direct the Design and Development for color concept, print themes, big ideas, key items & “must haves” around a 12-month delivery cycle, including all areas of the sportswear business; woven tops, cut & sew knits, sweaters, outerwear, dresses and tailored bottoms.
o Leading design and CAD team to insure brand cohesiveness by fabric sourcing, vetting print vendors, sample shopping, market research, as well as runway and print inspiration.
o Partner cross functional with sales, develop monthly sku count, identify best sellers and merchandise line for ¼ buy meetings with the following accounts; Amazon, Bloomingdales, Macys, Lord & Taylor, Zappos, & Neiman Marcus Last Call.
o Daily collaboration with production to source vendors, negotiate competitive price point and programs.
o Relaunched fit, hired a new technical team, created block specs for Fall 2018 in order to create fit consistency.
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Senior Designer/ Merchant
Macy's Merchandising Group
New York, NY
Oct 2011 - Apr 2016 (4 years 6 months)
Senior Designer/ Merchant-Reporting Directly to GVP of Millennial BAR III o Monthly trend setting and sample presentation to the CEO's, Group VP's and Presidents of MMG. o Established color and concept for 12 month delivery flow as well as merchandise the line on a monthly basis. o Designed and developed 80-120 sku's per month, while adhering to the S2M calendar. Sku development consisted of core, replenishment and fashion for the millennial brand. o Lead a team of five designers who support design and development in all categories of the business Knits, sweaters, woven's, outerwear, bottoms and "wear to work", ensuring concept and brand vision are cohesive. o Communicated and produced monthly trend packs illustrating the BAR III concept, by month, to our overseas offices along with our LDP vendors in NY and LA. o Collaborate with marketing and social media teams in order to submit editorial "looks" with a cohesive vision. o Quarterly travel to LA to communicate monthly concept vision and development sample needs to LDP vendors. Style and Co o Managed the design and execution of knitwear for city and casual, totaling $230 MM in annual sales. o Inspired and steered direct reports by setting short term and long term goals, creating category ownership. o Directed communication with overseas offices, located in five countries, in order to ensure quick sample turn around. o Traveled to Hong Kong & Korea bi-annually in order to execute shorter lead time for samples.
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Designer
Tiger J LLC
New York, United States
Sep 2006 - Oct 2011 (5 years 1 month)
o Managed the concept, design and execution of celebrity sportswear and outerwear divisions for QVC & HSN Brands included: Adrienne Landau, Rachel Zoe, The Kardashians, Queen Latifah, and Dennis Basso. o Responsible for designing apparel with a 12 month delivery flow which included presenting samples, concept boards, color stories, and trend forecasting to the buyers. o Delegated daily tasks, plans, and goals to the design assistants, associates, interns and CAD designers. o Shopped the European market by identifying and purchasing key silhouettes, trends, color, and fabrication. o Proposed cost solutions for garments while maintaining the integrity of each garment.
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Associate Designer
Li & Fung
New York, United States
2005 - 2006 (1 year)
o Designed and executed knit cut and sew sketches, tech-pack, specs, line sheets, color stories, and CADs for 2 deliveries per season for the Daisy Fuentes Line for Kohl's. o Managed daily production of lab dips, bulk approvals, print approvals, fit samples and TOP samples. o Negotiated with Hong Kong factories on trim, color, fabrication and development specs on a daily basis. o Guided the fit technician during weekly fittings as well as attended production hand off meetings.
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Assistant Designer
Bigio Collection
New York, United States
2003 - 2005 (2 years)
o Designed and sketched women's high-end suits, rendered figures on Photoshop, created line sheets, CAD boards, and presentation boards for the Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus buyers. o Shopped the European market and selected high-end fabrics at Premier Vision in Paris.