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VP of Design, Men's & Women's Apparel, Footwear & Accessories
Nov 2020 - Present (4 years 1 month)
• VP of Design for all brands within the House Of LR&C - Good Man Brand, and LITA by Ciara.
• Work directly with Co-Owners Ciara and Russell Wilson to create brand initiatives and seasonal objectives.
• Top emerging brand in Nordstrom modern department, and assortment buy maintained at 2019 levels, versus an industry average of 30% decline during the pandemic.
• Execute detailed collaboration with marketing, merchandising, graphic & print designers, and sales teams to drive product stories and narratives.
• Global travel for trend & fabric research, and product development, working with artisans and vendors for both footwear and apparel in Italy, Japan, China, and South America.
• Implemented a successful approval process which catered both to a strict development calendar and the fluid schedules of an NFL quarterback and a global pop icon.
• Directly responsible for all areas of apparel & footwear design, from seasonal concept, color, & trend, to product design, fabrication and trim sourcing, factory sourcing, art direction.
• Manages a team of 8 designers, plus freelancers.
• Front facing ambassador for all three brands to media & press outlets.
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Design Consultant
May 2021 - Aug 2021 (3 months)
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Los Angeles, CA
2016 - 2019 (3 years)
• Creative Director for LA based direct to consumer elevated menswear brand which became a perennial favorite for stylists and celebrities.
• Directly responsible for concept/color/trend, product design, fabrication and trim sourcing, factory sourcing, art directing, development/approval process.
• Global travel for trend research, fabric tradeshows and product development.
• Custom fabric development done in Los Angeles, Japan, and Italy, while overseeing production in LA, Europe and Japan.
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VARIOUS CONSULTING PROJECTS
Consultant
2011 - 2017 (6 years)
Iconix Apparel Group / Artful Dodger - Creative Direction Consultant
GLG Research Group - Consulting Council Member, Retail
Wilson Sporting Goods - Creative Direction Consultant
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SPECIAL PROJECTS
Los Angeles, CA
2015 - 2016 (1 year)
• Produced textile strategies and direction, high level illustration, and technical/fit packages.
• Delivered, executed, and managed a complete brand footprint providing direction for graphic stories, marketing strategies, internet presence and retail execution.
• Created and conceived high level conceptual themes, and collections for the Diadora Sportswear Collection.
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CONSULTING DESIGNER
MEN-CHUEN FIBRE
Los Angeles, CA
2014 - 2016 (2 years)
• Oversaw design, concept, and global development processes.
• Created modern sportswear collections using advance technical fabrics and production techniques.
• Conceived and executed proof of concept designs for a Men’s & Women’s Private Label fashion brand utilizing cutting edge technology solutions to enhance and simplify the lives of urban professionals world wide.
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SELESTE
Norrmalm, Sweden
2014 - 2016 (2 years)
• Tapped by a Sweden-based brand group to design and develop a high end women’s outerwear brand for the European market.
• Regularly flew to Stockholm to lead Concept-to-Creation presentations for strategic investors and retailers. http://www.seleste.se
• Conceived and directed all product development from sketching to sourcing to final product.
• Designed a 10 piece luxury capsule using a focused fabric palette and a tight, minimalist color story.
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DESIGN DIRECTOR
FILA
New York, NY
2008 - 2014 (6 years)
• Accounted for more than $100MM in total revenue, with product represented in over 1,000 doors nationwide
• Directed and managed the overall creative direction and product development process for Fila Sport.
• Led as the primary ambassador to outside partners and executive officers to ensure brand vision, design, and trend aligned with corporate business objectives.
• Managed, trained, and mentored a cross functional team of ten designers and artists.
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CO-FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
GAR-DE
New York, NY
2008 - 2011 (3 years)
• Conceived and created overall brand profile and design ethos. Acted as Creative Director for both the Men’s and Women’s full collections
• GAR-DE was a New York design collective and brand specializing in directional high end apparel for men and women.
• Retail doors include Barney’s New York, Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Intermix and over 70 more doors domestic, and abroad in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and Dubai. http://www.gar-de.com
• Able to penetrate 30 retail doors with a fledgling brand in a challenging economy, with $1m in total revenue.
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DESIGN DIRECTOR
Baltimore, MD
2007 - 2007
• Served as mentor and manager to Associate and Assistant Designers
• Designed and presented seasonal concepts and collections to our team and customers under aggressive time lines
• Acted as key senior partner in nurturing the brand identity and created distinctive Under Armour apparel offerings with a dynamic, timeless design vision.
• Interacted cross functionally with PLM’s, Developers, Patternmakers and Fabric Developers on seasonal line development, including Fit Sessions.
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DESIGN DIRECTOR
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2005 - 2007 (2 years)
• Provided leadership in business processes and design excellence within product and graphic design across multiple categories.
• Directed a team of six for the Asia Pacific and Global regional apparel markets, based in Hong Kong.
• Conceived and implemented design creation processes to guarantee product excellence and effectively build the brand.
• Created short and long-term design vision and strategies for the apparel business categories.
• Collaborated with other apparel product teams (i.e. marketing, sales), and business units (i.e. footwear, equipment, retail) to ensure continuity regarding design strategies and brand positioning.
Head Designer - Nike Basketball, Asia Pacific 2005 – 2006
Design Director - Nike Basketball / Running / Lifestyle, Asia Pacific 2006 - 2007
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DESIGNER
New York, NY
2003 - 2005 (2 years)
• Traveled overseas to South Korea to oversee sample creation process to ensure garments are correct for bulk production.
• Researched, developed, and negotiated prices for innovative new fabrics with overseas mills.
• Managed a cross-departmental team of designers and graphic designers.
• Responsible for the overall concept and design for the Men's Activewear division, a segment which contributed $150M to the overall sales of the Old Navy.
• Designed a full collection covering all categories, including the first offering of moisture management tech tops ever at Old Navy.
• Created effective and clear line presentations for Executive Level meetings that incorporated both conceptual design briefs and business projections.