Established and grew this self-run business that sells handmade luxury leather handbags. Conduct sales to boutiques and onsite at upscale art shows throughout California and to clients globally through the e-commerce site www.bohemianhandbags.com. Perform all aspects of product design. Source vendors and purchase leather, findings, and accessories. Oversee production and distribution. Set up Instagram for marketing. Achieved high client satisfaction, significant referral business, and consistent year-to-year sales increases. (2012 to Present)

Designed and sold high-end women’s active wear and lounge wear. Created the company vision to reach an untapped, niche market. Sold to 250 specialty stores, boutiques and department stores throughout the US, Israel and Europe, including Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. Oversaw distribution.Sourced vendors to purchase fabrics and all findings for garments. Oversaw production internally in Los Angeles and in China. Merchandised collections in showroom and at tradeshows, including COTERIE, MAGIC and LA Market Week. Hired sales representatives in LA, NY and Dallas.Accomplishments: Built annual sales to $2 million. Acquired celebrity clients. Products were featured in People and Star Magazine, and on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Orange County. Negotiated exclusive co-partnerships with Bloomingdales for the Bravo line. (2005 to 2011)

Directed all operations at this retail outlet store. Purchased off-price branded merchandise from assorted junior clothing lines from vendor factories. Determined pricing. Interviewed, hired and trained staff in all areas of customer service, products, sales and presentations. Built relationships with local hotels to develop referrals to international tourists. Developed strong vendor relationships with Victoria’s Secret, Armani Exchange and The Limited. (2002 to 2005)

Bought junior clothing lines and brands for this chain of 40 specialty stores. Purchased stock from showrooms and from warehouses in New York and Los Angeles. Reviewed sales trends and reports by region to determine optimal merchandise mix. Obtained feedback from store managers on each product line’s sales. Traveled to stores and coached staff on merchandising and selling features. Achieved consistent growth of 10% each year with profitable mark-ups. (1996 to 2002)

Purchased lines of junior apparel for this specialty chain with 65 locations. Worked closely with Regional, District and Store Managers. Built relationships with vendors. Traveled to stores to help with merchandising. Analyzed each store’s sales trends and determined optimal margins. (1991 to 1996)