Administration of global operations related to the mens and youth SMU (Special make-up) design, development and merchandising team. These personnel are responsible for the creation of apparel, outerwear and accessories created for specific accounts, regions and channels of trade. An SMU is any product or color way developed outside of planned seasonal business. Partnering with accounts, sales, marketing and suppliers, the SMU team is focused on improving go-to-market efficiency, maximizing… Show more Administration of global operations related to the mens and youth SMU (Special make-up) design, development and merchandising team. These personnel are responsible for the creation of apparel, outerwear and accessories created for specific accounts, regions and channels of trade. An SMU is any product or color way developed outside of planned seasonal business. Partnering with accounts, sales, marketing and suppliers, the SMU team is focused on improving go-to-market efficiency, maximizing gross-profit dollar; as well as, enhancing customer’s brand experience• Drawing upon successes from footwear / accessory experience; realigned existing SMU personnel and hired new personnel to complete organizational structure• Established best-practices and standardized all possible operational protocols• Facilitated implementation of product-lifecycle-management software (PTC Windchill Flex PLM) specific to SMU team responsibility• Expanded operational transparency via a defined product creation process, implementation of project management software (Interations have included Smartsheet, Trello and MS 365 Planner); as well as, compiling comprehensive quarterly recaps reporting specific year-over-year / quarter-over-quarter / year-to-date metrics and offering go-forward reccomendations based on findings• Collaborated with sales management and marketing on seasonal range presentations for key accounts• Strategized with buyers from majors, department store, global regions, direct-to-consumer and core account on specific products or capsule collections• With marketing, collaborated on signature products / collections with ambassadors, artists, athletes and brands• Conistently communicated with manufacturing partners on speed-to-market projects, capitalizing on immediate opportunities within the supply chain Show less

Acquired responsibilities related to womens product categories and expanded the footwear range to include closed-toe products.FOOTWEAR -• Collaborated with Volcom / Kering (Then PPR) executive and management personnel on the brand positioning related to closed-toe footwear• Developed consumer profiles and related product strategy; mapping processes from creative brief through point-of-sale• During initial phase of closed-toe implementation, worked in concert with offsite… Show more Acquired responsibilities related to womens product categories and expanded the footwear range to include closed-toe products.FOOTWEAR -• Collaborated with Volcom / Kering (Then PPR) executive and management personnel on the brand positioning related to closed-toe footwear• Developed consumer profiles and related product strategy; mapping processes from creative brief through point-of-sale• During initial phase of closed-toe implementation, worked in concert with offsite design and development personnel in Boston and Vietnam (Puma SE) on a comprehensive range of footwear• As scope of the closed-toe project increased, coordinated the hiring of in-house personnel for primary department functions*See description from Director Accessories / Footwear for additional responsibilitiesACCESSORY -• Integrated womens personnel into existing product team• Aligned the design, development, merchandising and sampling process; providing consistency to men’s / youth / women’s operations*See description from Accessories Division Manager / Senior Designer for additional responsibilities Show less

Oversight of designers, developers and merchandisers responsible for mens and youth accessory products. Assembled personnel and product strategy for mens and womens footwear.FOOTWEAR -• Hired and integrated footwear design and development personnel into existing product team• Collaborted with executive, sales, marketing and creative personnel; establishing product direction and range architecture aligning with brand heritage and revenue expectations• Translated brand… Show more Oversight of designers, developers and merchandisers responsible for mens and youth accessory products. Assembled personnel and product strategy for mens and womens footwear.FOOTWEAR -• Hired and integrated footwear design and development personnel into existing product team• Collaborted with executive, sales, marketing and creative personnel; establishing product direction and range architecture aligning with brand heritage and revenue expectations• Translated brand creative briefing into concepts applicable to footwear categories• Reviewed initial ideation sketches with design personnel• Conducted product design presentations with cross-functional teams• Ensured on calendar delivery of technical sketches and product briefs to suppliers• With assistance of design personnel, presented completed product range to global sales force• Presented range to accounts and buyers during trade shows and appointments.• Scheduled and participated in seasonal inspiration travel to relevant markets including Australia, Europe and Japan• Scheduled and participated in manufacturer-specific travel to China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and VietnamACCESSORY -• Sourced / contracted a freelance design firm responsible for technical products• Managed timeline and communication associated with offsite personnel (Written correspondence, conference calls, milestone meetings, communication of range changes impacting interrelated products, etc.) *See description from Accessories Division Manager / Senior Designer for additional responsibilities Show less

Leadership of the design, development and merchandising team responsible for mens and youth accessory products.• Created job desciptions and assembled staff responsible for primary operations• Built range architecture from sales forecast, historical product performance data and trend analysis• Interpreted brand creative brief into applicable concepts for design personnel• Reviewed initial ideation sketches with design and development personnel• Ran product design… Show more Leadership of the design, development and merchandising team responsible for mens and youth accessory products.• Created job desciptions and assembled staff responsible for primary operations• Built range architecture from sales forecast, historical product performance data and trend analysis• Interpreted brand creative brief into applicable concepts for design personnel• Reviewed initial ideation sketches with design and development personnel• Ran product design presentations with creative, sales, marketing and executive personnel• Ensured on calendar delivery of technical sketches and product briefs to suppliers• Conducted prototype review meeting with suppliers• Maintained communication with factory personnel• Tracked global salesmen sample orders ensuring on-time delivery• With assistance of design personnel, presented the completed product range to global sales force during town-hall style sales meetings• Presented product range to accounts and buyers during trade shows and appointments.• Scheduled and participated in seasonal inspiration travel to relevant markets including Australia, Europe and Japan• Scheduled and participated in manufacturer-specific travel to China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam Show less

Sole responsibility for design, development and sampling of mens / youth accessory products; inclusive of headwear, backpacks, luggage, belts, wallets, socks and specialty items.• Adapted seasonal creative brief into applicable concepts for accessory categories• Produced and edited design ideation sketches (Hand-drawn, Adobe Illustrator)• Pitched designs during presentations with creative, sales, marketing and executive personnel• Completed technical sketches (Ai) and… Show more Sole responsibility for design, development and sampling of mens / youth accessory products; inclusive of headwear, backpacks, luggage, belts, wallets, socks and specialty items.• Adapted seasonal creative brief into applicable concepts for accessory categories• Produced and edited design ideation sketches (Hand-drawn, Adobe Illustrator)• Pitched designs during presentations with creative, sales, marketing and executive personnel• Completed technical sketches (Ai) and bill-of-materials (ERP)• Conducted physical / digital tech pack handover to vendors• Lead prototype review meetings with development• Maintained communication with factory personnel• Executed products to specifications; on seasonal calendar deadlines; ensuring price and margin requirements were achieved• Assembled, issued and tracked global salesmen sample orders• Presented product range to global sales force during town-hall style meetings• Presented product range to accounts and buyers during tradeshows and appointments.• Participated in seasonal inspiration travel to relevant markets including Australia, Europe and Japan• Participated in manufacturer-specific travel to China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam Show less

Multi-semester internship focused on pattern making and product design specific to mens apparel and accessories.• Collaborated among design, development and pattern-making personnel on the creation of hard paper patterns• Participated in product fittings• Measured prototypes, samples and size-runs; ensuring products within specification tolerance• Communicated specification comments to suppliers• Entered specification data into ERP softwareOne-year contract with… Show more Multi-semester internship focused on pattern making and product design specific to mens apparel and accessories.• Collaborated among design, development and pattern-making personnel on the creation of hard paper patterns• Participated in product fittings• Measured prototypes, samples and size-runs; ensuring products within specification tolerance• Communicated specification comments to suppliers• Entered specification data into ERP softwareOne-year contract with mens / womens merchandising & design department for the creation of seasonal raw material swatch books.• Comunicated with raw material suppliers, compiling fabric yardage for all styles and colors• Cut, pasted and assembled fabric swatch books that were then distributed to regional reps and global subsidiaries in lieu of a comprehensive salesmen sample range• Once product sourcing shifted overseas; developed strategy and implemented process for import suppliers to self-produce swatch booklets, affixing directly to salesmen samples Show less