Dara Branson Email & Phone Number

Indianapolis, In, Us

Monticello, Indiana, United States

Fabric Trend and Product Development: - Developed outdoor fabrics for a range of products, with a focus on screenprinted patterns and embroidered/appliqued details - Developed trend reports and fabric recommendations for Jordan Collection customers: Big Lots, Boscov’s, Ace Hardware, Wayfair, and more - Teamed with Buyers and Product Development Teams to develop proprietary product designs for stores including Walmart (Mainstays), Home Depot (Hampton Bay) and Meijer (Room & Retreat) - Utilized merchandising background to develop planograms for retailers to cut time and costs for them while encouraging increased sales of Jordan Manufacturing products and promoting add-on sales of related productsBrand Development: - Teamed with newly appointed CEO and Marketing Director to revitalize branding and improve company perception without expanding the current marketing budgetVisual Communication: - Collaborated with Marketing and Design to document processes and define terminology - Developed branded materials and templates to promote consistency across the organization

2021 – Indiana Fashion Week Emerging Designer Competition Finalist- Designed, produced, & styled 5 complete outfits for runway- Developed & edited product concept- Pitched concept to Indiana Fashion Week coordinators- Developed budget (100% self-funded)- Sourcing – researched & purchased materials for desired appearance, fit, construction, & budget- Technical design – defined product specifications & construction, developed sewing patterns- Sample production – developed sample garments, adjusted sizing & fit- Model selection – chose models to represent desired aesthetic & brand values including diversity- Styling – coordinated accessories & prepared models for runway2016 – Memphis Fashion Week – Emerging Memphis Designer Project- Designed, produced, & styled 3 complete outfits for runway- Developed and edited product concept & pitched to Memphis Fashion Week coordinators- Developed budget (100% self-funded)- Sourcing, Technical Design, Sample ProductionCustom Design and Alterations- Consulted with clients to define specifications & costing- Altered garments ranging from simple hems to redesigning vintage wedding gowns- Designed & produced custom garments according to client specificationsNew Business Development- Developed new business concepts with a focus on: Identifying opportunities, Business model generation, Market research, Brand development, Brand development, Marketing, Concept art, Product design & packaging

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

- Recruited by the District Manager I had formerly worked with in Memphis to relocate and restaff underperforming Indianapolis store- Successfully relocated and reopened within 1 week to mitigate losses of sales- Managed a team of 5 managers and 15-20 sales associates-Trained employees according to company standards-Managed schedule and payroll hours

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

- Collaborated with small batch production supervisor to ensure all merchandise met standards- Developed inspection spreadsheet to monitor and communicate inspection results

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Apparel Design & Technology

Activities and Societies: Purdue Fashion Association Annual Purdue Fashion ShowCross-disciplinary study focused on a range of courses.

Certificate, Entrepreneurship And Innovation

Series of 5 courses with a focus on hands-on experience with creativity, innovation, feasibility analysis, market research, business.

Minor, Art & Design

Collaborative and multidisciplinary program in top-ranking design school #25 out of 407 US programs ranked by College Factual #2 ranked.