M Coleman Horn

Design + Manufacturing consultants for the footwear, apparel and soft-goods industry. Phyla's focus is on technical design and vertical supplier integration. PHYLA works on diverse design projects: including product development and merchandising, product design, graphic design and branding. Responsibilities include management of all aspects of running a small design firm, including creative, budgets and sales.

Founded M3DIUM with business partners: Scott Milden and Eric Meyer. Designed and Developed 8 seasons of footwear and accessories. Developed supply-chain for overseas production of shoes, bags, watches & apparel. Created budgets and timelines for all product. Created look and feel of brand. Grew brand from 0 to 8M in sales. MEDIUM was sold in 2007 to Pentland.

Key Contributions:

• Managed all Production and Design. (Projection and goal setting, building and developing MEDIUM’s image, event promotions, advertising direction)
• Strategically led SRM’s (supplier relationship management) within MEDIUM’s supply chain.
• Managed trade-shows, samples, sales meetings and catalog production.
• Generated long-term, profitable, and sustainable revenue streams by expanding into new markets, including watches and apparel.
• Developed Collaborative projects between MEDIUM and ADOBE, Dwell Magazine and HOUSE INDUSTRIES.
• Awarded Footwear Brand Launch of the Year, Footwear News Award, 2002.

Created design direction and product architecture for Simple and Ugg. Worked closely with Scott Milden and Ruth Davis on building UGG to reach it's renown today. Designed the Butte boot, which after 10 years, remains the star of the line and determines the overall design language of the UGG mens line.

http://www.uggaustralia.com/mens-butte-rugged-winter-boots/5521,default,pd.html?dwvar_5521_color=MTL&start=5&cgid=men-boots

Recruited to work between two corporations: Polo, Ralph Lauren, and Reebok, as a senior FOOTWEAR and PRODUCT designer, while the corporations entered a licensing agreement together to produce athletic footwear.

Key Contributions:

• Designed and developed full lines of product ranges for tennis, running, casual, hiking, and fashion.
• Strategically Co-Developed initial product marketing direction and product briefs with the Marketing team.
• Developed SWOT analyses to be used in footwear direction.
• Developed logo system for Polo sport footwear, used in print, packaging, and product branding.
• Had POLO hiking shoe on display at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco (MOMA) show "DESIGN AFOOT: Athletic Shoes 1995 - 2002"




Recruited by Neil Morrow to head responsibility for all external image of the corporation from a product design standpoint.

Key Contributions:

Realized a 22 percent sales increase across the line through new product developments.
Responsible for individual budgets of projects, including costing analyses & target costing.
Developed and designed a new step-in snowboard binding and boot system called "ENGAGE" which was industry lauded as a game changer.
Designed a new corporate identity system, including logos, packaging and POP display items.
Designed new lines of technical outdoor snowboarding apparel for the Morrow owned company Westbeach and for Morrow's own label of outerwear.
Designed vertical print ads and snowboard graphics.

Staff designer responsible for footwear categories: Women's cross training, Men’s running and ACG, (All Conditions Gear).

Key Contributions:

• Job focus was technical athletic design and development with Pac-Rim manufacturing.
• Secondary focus was research acquisition for sales projections and brand management.
• Designed Footwear that helped Nike achieve it's boom in the mid 90's. Annual estimate of sales generated from 14 designs per annual seasons: 95 million dollars.
• Awarded 2 US patents for developing innovations in athletic footwear.



Worked with marketing and engineering as staff designer, creating 5 seasons of technical running footwear and apparel for the sports industry.

Key Contributions:

• Job focus was technical athletic design and development with Pacific rim manufacturing.
• Developed new corporate logo system for Saucony, which was used in advertising and product branding.
• Designed a few "core" running products for Suucony which generated 20 million in annual sales.
• Awarded KUZAMI (Japan) design award for footwear.