My Work Experience

Freelance Creative Director:

• Created and designed company aesthetic and all product.

• Responsible to adhere to seasonal budget.

• Sourced factories, yarns, and fabrics.

• Sketched all technical flats and rendered all line plans.

• Created all product tech packs.

• Worked with the owner on merchandising and buy plans.

• Designed all yarn stitches which includes jacquards, prints, and intarsia patterns.

• Created seasonal mood boards and color palettes.

• Responsible for all marketing aesthetic which includes photoshoot concept, location scouting, photographer and model selection, and created looks for e-commerce and lifestyle shots.

• Traveled the country to run the pop up shops nationwide.

• Worked with owner on pricing and margins.

Creative Director

• Concept, fabricate, color, design, and develop 4 seasons annually for 4 divisions

• Design all wovens and knits/sweaters for each division

• Create marketing direction and concepts for each season, which included direction for all marketing photoshoot campaigns

• Oversee and direct team of 4

• Manage daily fittings

• Create all mood and color direction boards

• Present every collection to national sellers

• Attend Premiere Vision fabric show in Paris and domestic fabric shows

• Select fabrications and yarns for each division based on brand aesthetic and pricepoint

• Managed and directed seasonal lookbook and brochure ad campaigns

• Responsible for design budget

• Created seasonal time and action calendars for each season

• Develop all prints, print repeats, and re-coloring

• Develop all beading and embroidery

• Responsible for adhering to target margins for each style

• Source and choose all trims

Creative Director

• Responsible for re-branding and new design direction of the product.

• Sourced all global and domestic factories for product development and production.

• Designed all product.

• Hand illustrated all looks.

• Created all flat drawings for tech packs.

• Worked with owners on pricing and margins.

• Rendered all flats for Line Plan

• Merchandised all collections.

• Responsible for seasonal budget planning and maintenance.

• Created seasonal mood boards and color stories.

• Sourced all fabrics and yarns.

• Created all print and embroidery designs.

• Created Time & Action calendars.

• Responsible for all product development and production.

• Traveled to Peru for product development and factory sourcing.

• Responsible for all tech packs, fittings, comments to factories.

• Created the marketing creative direction of the company which included campaign aesthetic, e-commerce looks, photoshoot concepts, photographer and models selection.

• Created store concepts and aesthetic.

• Sourced and developed all trims and packaging.

Concept, fabricate, design, fit, pattern maker, drape, execute all costumes for Gallim Dance Company (first resident artist of the MET)

Vice President of Design

• Conceptualize, design, direct, and execute all collections for DB designer brands and DB bridesmaids

• Work directly with the following designers designing/developing their collections with DB:

  • Vera Wang for White by Vera Wang (bridal, bridesmaids, accessories, shoes)

  • Zac Posen for Truly by Zac Posen (bridal, social occasion, accessories, shoes)

  • Jenny Packham for Wonder by Jenny Packham (bridal, bridesmaids, accessories, etc)

  • Cynthia Rowley for Cheers by Cynthia Rowley (bridal, social occasion)

  • Melissa Sweet for Melissa Sweet (bridal, accessories, etc)

• Manage a staff of 5 designers

• Create all boards for theme/mood, concepts, fabrics, trends, colors, sketches

• Co-manage the fabric R&D department of 2 employees

• Travel to fabric shows (PV, Tex World, etc) to select seasonal fabrics

• Sourcing, selecting, developing fabrics (including prints)

• Responsible for making sure all product hits target IMU

• Work closely with product development team and production team to establish and maintain calendars, budgets, and IMU’s

• Choose and develop all new colors for all divisions responsible for

• Present all concepts, designs, etc. to merchant teams, licensed designers, etc.

• Travel to India and China multiple times annually for sourcing, muslin fittings, and buy meetings with merchant team

• Design and develop all embellishments including all beading layouts, lace applique, artwork, embroideries, etc.

• Direct all development and production fittings

Creative Director

• Conceptualize, design, execute, and direct all aspects of a leading tween girls company

• Maintain brand image and integrity throughout all product categories including licensees such as Walt Disney

• Product categories include socks, handbags, footwear, apparel, winter wear, toys, bedding, furniture, etc.

• Concept and create all boards for mood/theme, fabrics, colors, etc.

• Create all color, prints, and patterns

• Manage design staff of 4

• Responsible for maintaining and adhering to allocated budgets, calendars, IMU’s.

• Responsible for founding the first established designer brand to sell direct to consumer through national sales force selling from their homes

• Work directly with the Bill Blass team to maintain brand ethos & aesthetic

• Found financial funding to develop and maintain the company

• Recruited and hired the NYC headquarter staff and initial national sales team

• Concept all boards for mood/theme, designs, colors, fabrics, ad campaigns, etc.

• Direct technical development of all garments

• Conduct all fittings along with technical designer

• Manage design staff and sample room of ten employees

• Maintain and adhere to calendars, budgets, etc.

• Travel to Premiere Vision in Paris for fabric sourcing

• Oversee all fabric & trim sourcing and development

• Present collections to sales associates and management

• Conceptualize and direct all advertising campaigns and all photo shoots

• Conceptualize and direct all aspects of runway shows (models, venue, etc)

• Collaborate in development of sales tools for sales associates

• Merchandise the collection

Head Designer

• Responsible for all aspects of designing designer direct sales women's collection

• Full conceptualization of theme, color, fabric, and design

• Direct technical development of all garments

• Responsible for color lab dip samples

• Manage design staff of three

• Travel to Premiere Vision in Paris for fabric sourcing

• Present collections to sales associates and management

• Co-conceptualize advertising campaigns and photo shoots

• Merchandise collection

• Present collections to sales team of over 200 national sales associates

Associate Designer

• Co-design all woven fabrics for women's bridge collection

• Research color, inspiration, design, and fabrics

• Presentation/Mood board development

• Trim/Button design, sourcing, and development

• Beading/Embroidery design, sourcing, and development

• Technical flat development

• Co-design prints

• Co-conduct showroom and production fittings

• Illustrate presentation and press illustrations

• Distribute development samples to cutting rooms and contractors

• Co-direct all photo shoots for press and look books
  
  (note: was an Assistant at ODLR for 6 months in early 1993)

Associate Knitwear and Woven Designer

• Co-design all knits and woven's for women's bridge collection

• Beading/Embroidery sourcing, design, and development

• Presentation/Mood board development

• Presentation flats and illustrations

• Technical flat development

• Assist all fittings

• Co-develop prints for woven and stitches for knits

• Co-select fabrics and yarns

• Graph all knit and sweater layouts (intarsia, jacquards, etc.)

• Garment specs and measuring

• Assist all fittings in New York and hong Kong

Assistant Designer

• Assisted various departments including presentation, illustration, and knitwear for women's designer collection