ACCESSORIES 〰️ CARLA ZAMPATTI: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA & REMOTE
July 2022 - Present
• Design, development and range planning for all accessories - handbags, footwear, jewellery, scarves
• Sourcing new suppliers and Italian tanneries that are aligned with the Carla Zampatti brand
• Creation of the accessories critical path that is symbiotic with the apparel critical path
• Set up vendor agreement & terms manual with all suppliers and factories
• Creation of all technical specification sheets and packages for all styles approved for development
• Ensure that all timelines are adhered to and maintained
• Vendor management and daily communication with all suppliers
• Pricing negotiation
• Budget management
• Ensuring that all specifications are followed, and that brand integrity and quality are maintained
• Sample and fit approvals, and communication with all suppliers
• Overseeing sample approvals and range sign off
• Sample and bulk purchase order management
• Quality control of production in the warehouse
• Work closely with the Head of Retail and Head of Visual Merchandising
FREELANCE 〰️ MATERNITY LEAVE - REMOTE
July 2020 - July 2022
• Graphic Design
HEAD OF DESIGN 〰️ SUNNYLIFE: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
September 2019 - May 2020
• Work closely with the Creative Director and other internal management stakeholders to brainstorm, develop and execute original creative concepts in conjunction with the Design team
• Manage a strong creative design team
• Look over and design Product, Packaging, Print, Web, Social, Visual Merchandising, and other brand projects
• Ensure that all working processes, planning, testing, & documentation, etc., are efficient & adhered to by the Design team
• Ensure that the Design Department remains relevant and on-trend
• Quality control and improvement of departmental output
• Researching, sourcing, and developing seasonal ranges in collaboration with Product & Production teams
• Traffic Management of the entire Design team
• Maintain communication and relationships between Design and other departments within the business
• Develop the design strategy ensuring all design is directional and adheres to brand positioning
• Estimate creative effort required for projects
• Complete work to agreed budgets and timelines
• Mentor Senior and Junior designers
DESIGN MANAGER 〰️ YOOBI: LOS ANGELES, U.S.A.
June 2018 - September 2019
• Research global markets in order to identify new trends and techniques
• Manage a team of Senior Designers, Designers, and freelance contractors
• Create seasonal colour palette and mood board concepts
• Range planning and merchandise product assortment
• Monitor sales performance, and apply data to new season development and strategies
• Collaborate with the sales team on special projects and exclusive collections
• Manage the creation of seasonal original artwork and illustrations
• Oversee the creation and management of all production art files and specification sheets
• Partner with the product development & marketing teams
• Develop new products and artwork for all brand collaborations
• Provide direction and concepts for product packaging to the graphic design team
• Provide creative direction to partner agencies for showroom and meeting requirements with multi-door customers
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - APPAREL, HANDBAGS, & GIFTS 〰️ BAN.DO: LOS ANGELES, U.S.A.
March 2018 - June 2018
• Manage the apparel design, product design, technical design, production art, and product development teams
• Work closely alongside the VP of Product Development, Creative Director, and Merchandise Director across apparel, homewares, gifts, and accessories
• Trend forecasting and research
• Monitor sales performance, and apply data to new season development and strategies
• Range planning and merchandise product assortment
• Vendor communication & relations
• Pricing negotiations, and ensuring that all designs are aligned with brand pricing strategy
• Critical path and calendar management
• Oversee shipping and freight communication and updates
• Ensuring that all design development updates are communicated to the Los Angeles, Kentucky, and Hong Kong teams
PRODUCT DESIGN MANAGER 〰️ BAN.DO: LOS ANGELES, U.S.A.
November 2015 - March 2018
• Manage the apparel design, product design, technical design, production art, and product development teams
• Work closely alongside the VP of Product Development, Creative Director, and Merchandise Director across apparel, homewares, gifts, and accessories
• Trend forecasting and research
• Monitor sales performance, and apply data to new season development and strategies
• Range planning and merchandise product assortment
• Vendor communication & relations
• Pricing negotiations, and ensuring that all designs are aligned with brand pricing strategy
• Critical path and calendar management
• Oversee shipping and freight communication and updates
• Ensuring that all design development updates are communicated to the Los Angeles, Kentucky, and Hong Kong teams
FREELANCE 〰️ NEW YORK, U.S.A.
August 2015 - November 2015
• Fashion week event production & management
• Graphic, product, and packaging design
DESIGNER - WOMEN’S ACCESSORIES, FOOTWEAR, AND JEWELLERY 〰️ OROTON: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
July 2008 - July 2015
• Trend, product, and market research, both locally & internationally
• Biannual international travel for inspiration and sourcing
• Seasonal concept and mood creation
• Design, development, and range planning
• Sample process monitoring, implementation, and management, including ensuring that all timelines are adhered to and maintained
• Daily communication with all suppliers
• Regular visits to suppliers in Asia for inspiration, sourcing, fit, and design amendments
• Pricing negotiation
• Managing the design and product team budgets
• Creation of all technical packages to suppliers
• Ensuring that all specifications are followed, and that brand integrity and quality are maintained
• Sample and fit approvals, and communication with all suppliers
• Overseeing approvals and range sign off with the junior design team members
• Managing a team of Assistant Designers & Design Assistants
• Managing the production and testing teams
• Liaising with the merchandise and buying teams to monitor sales and activity, and applying these learnings to the new season development and strategies
JUNIOR DESIGNER 〰️ OROTON: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
July 2007 - July 2008
• Trend, product, and market research
• Design & development of the women’s & men’s small accessories categories as well as the product development for the factory outlet generated products
• Seasonal travel to Asia to meet with suppliers
• Assisting with sending all technical packages
• Daily communication with all suppliers
• Ensuring that the development schedule is followed by all suppliers
• Sample management – monitoring & tracking deliveries, unpacking, tagging, and labeling, ensuring appropriate storage and archiving, managing all loan samples, and ensuring that all wear test feedback is given to the Head and Senior Designers
• Assisting in all sample and fit approvals
• Assisting the visual merchandising team with showroom requirements
DESIGN ASSISTANT 〰️ OROTON: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
April 2007 - July 2007
• Trend, product, and market research
• Assisting with the men’s small accessories development, digital sketching, and colouring, and sending off all
technical packages
• Daily communication with all suppliers
• Sample management
• Assisting in the sample and fit approvals for the men’s accessories and small accessories categories
• Assisting the visual merchandising team with showroom requirements
• Liaising with the customer service team and suppliers regarding product repairs and spare parts orders
• Storeroom management
• Managing the design team's international travel schedule
• Gathering all weekly sales reports and data into a visual presentation
DESIGN ASSISTANT 〰️ SHAKUHACHI: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA + BALI, INDONESIA
August 2006 - April 2007
• Trend, product, and market research
• Daily communication with local suppliers, development agents, and the Bali office
• Assisting with the design and development of the women’s and men’s apparel collections
• Designing the women’s knitwear, footwear, jewelry & leather accessories
• Sending all technical packages to local and offshore suppliers
• Range planning and line list creation
• Sample management
• Assisting in all sample and fit approvals and amendments
• Managing all local production, and working closely with the Balinese Production Manager to ensure that all quality control standards and grading guidelines are followed
• Showroom merchandising and maintenance
• Organising all product alterations and repairs
• Facilitating all supplier and customer returns, exchanges, refunds and credits
• Local and international material sourcing
• Sourcing new suppliers and agents
• Wholesale and additional sales data entry and order placement with all vendors and agents
DESIGN ASSISTANT 〰️ ALICE McCALL: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
December 2005 - July 2006
• Organising souring meetings with local suppliers and development agents
• Assisting with the design and development of the women’s and men’s apparel collections
• Designing the women’s apparel diffusion line, and the print design for repeat designs and T-shirts
• Sending all technical packages to local and offshore suppliers
• Ordering of all materials, leathers, trims, and findings with local and Indonesian suppliers and agents
• Sample management
• Daily communication with all suppliers and agents
• Line list creation
• Working with local pattern makers, sample machinists, and digital pattern graders
• Sample and pattern cutting
• Assisting in all sample and fit approvals and amendments
DESIGN & OFFICE ASSISTANT (PART-TIME) 〰️ ALICE McCALL: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
June 2005 - December 2005
• General errands & customer service
• Working with local pattern makers, sample machinists, and digital pattern graders
• Sample and pattern cutting
• Assisting in all sample and fit approvals and amendments
• Showroom merchandising and maintenance
• Ensuring that storerooms and archives are labeled, tidy and manageable
• PR sample management and liaising with stylists and editors
• Assisting with PR & wholesale showings
• Organising all product alterations and repairs
• Coordinating sample sales and stock takes
• Sales and production data entry
DESIGN ASSISTANT (PART-TIME) 〰️ RUTHLESS PRODUCTIONS: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
November 2003 - February 2004
• General errands & customer service
• Working with local pattern makers, manufacturers, and leather agents
• Assisting in all sample and fit approvals and amendments
• Showroom merchandising and maintenance
• Ensuring that storerooms and archives are labeled, tidy and manageable
• PR sample management and liaising with stylists and editors
• Sales and production data entry
• Managing market stalls to sell aged products and samples
GRAPHIC DESIGNER 〰️ COLIN IREMONGER ADVERTISING: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
August 1999 - January 2003
• Designing all print collateral for Accor Hotels (Australia & New Zealand):
- Hotel, motel & convention centre catalogues & brochures
- Billboards
- Lightboxes
- Mail out inserts
- Advertisements (newspaper and magazine)
- Updating all marketing guidelines from France for the Australian and New Zealand teams