Vicken Donikian Email & Phone Number

California, United States

Berkeley, Ca, Us

Berkeley, Ca, Us

In 2017 I co-founded Good Fishing, a contemporary apparel brand offering cut and sew garments made of 100% organic cotton, responsibly manufactured with production partners in India and the US.As a small business owner my role bridged creative direction and P&L management. I directed merchandising, product development, and design for seasonal collections of 30-100 SKUs, including development of all original silhouettes, graphics, patterns, and palettes. I led creative direction, art direction, and production for quarterly lookbooks and marketing campaigns (photo and video) to increase brand awareness, customer acquisition, and product sales. I managed the company's financial planning, creating and operating monthly/quarterly/annual budgets informed by analysis of sales metrics/KPIs, production costs, customer sentiment, and industry trends. In parallel with the creative vision for each season, I forecasted inventory needs and managed international raw material purchasing, sampling, garment production, and finishing/dyeing/decoration.By developing partnerships with global retailers including Urban Outfitters, Verishop, and NTWRK, and investing in direct-to-consumer channels (e-commerce, pop-up shops, brick & mortar events, markets, activations), we achieved 60% average annual revenue growth while remaining independently owned.Key collaborations include capsule collections with Grammy Award winning band Portugal. The Man (Holiday 2022), and sculpture artist Vincent Miranda (Spring 2022).Good Fishing garnered notable press from GQ, Valet Mag, and San Francisco Magazine.

In 2017 I co-founded Artificial Intelligence Module, a boutique creative agency specializing in global brand management, art direction, and marketing. Selected clients include Bel-Air Athletics, Wickett & Craig, The Hill-Side, Hickoree's, Bon Vivant, Lynn & Lawrence, Zensoft, and Red Table Talk.Bel-Air Athletics - June 2019 - March 2020Developed the brand voice and led digital communications for Will Smith’s Bel-Air Athletics brand, promoting acquisition of 250K Instagram followers and 110K email subscribers. I handled all direct customer communications via email and social media channels, resolving 2000+ customer inquiries per week at an 85% one-touch rate. I also created weekly analytics reports surveying trends, product sales data, customer behavior, and internal performance, and worked closely with the brand's Creative Director and Marketing department to identify opportunities to engage with key customers in unique and on-brand ways.Wickett & Craig - August 2018 - July 2021I built and implemented the social media marketing strategy for historic North American leather tannery Wickett & Craig, resulting in growth of Instagram followers from 2K-24K in 3 years. With a focus on increasing sales, engagement, and brand affinity, I managed art direction, copywriting, planning, posting, and performance analysis for all social media content. I reported to the company's Marketing Director and VP of Sales & Operations, coordinating new product launch strategies, influencer partnerships, and content development.

Beverly Hills, California, Us

I directed the retail merchandising strategy for the launch of Citizens Go kiosk at Manhattan West, and twenty EllaMia cafe locations nationwide. I curated site-specific assortments of 100-200+ SKUs in third party home goods, accessories, printed material, and CPG to complement the company's in-house menu offerings. I established and maintained relationships with 40+ vendors from across North America, Europe, and Asia.In this role I reported directly to the CEO, SVP of Operations, and Creative Director, and led weekly presentations to executive leadership from all departments on market/trend research, competitor analysis, merchandising strategy, product assortment, and cost analysis.

I managed a wholesale portfolio of 200+ boutique and major retailer accounts in 25 countries for The Hill-Side, and was a key member of the team that was awarded GQ's Best New Menswear Designers in America prize in 2015. I led seasonal trade show presentations at MAN (New York) and Capsule (Las Vegas), as well as private showroom appointments, managing $850K+ in annual wholesale sales of apparel, footwear, accessories, and home goods. I scaled the business by increasing global wholesale revenue by 10-15% each season in a highly competitive market.I coordinated marketing strategies and execution for global collaborations with TOMS, Woolrich, CB2, GQ, and Unionmade, and led art direction and styling for six seasonal lookbooks/campaigns. I also crafted the concept for marketing the innovative All-Weather High Top sneakers, which quickly became the brand’s best-selling product for several years, and were named to GQ’s Best Sneakers of the Year list in 2017.I directed press outreach and communications resulting in brand features in prominent press outlets including GQ, Complex, Cool Hunting, Cool Material, WWD, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Esquire, Valet Mag, Highsnobiety, and Hypebeast.

New York, Ny, Us

At Westerlind Showroom I managed wholesale sales for Goldwin, Woolrich, Snow Peak, Vuarnet, Teva, Techné, Leatherman, and F/CE for the Spring/Summer 2017 market. I helped introduce historic Japanese outdoor brand Goldwin's lifestyle collection to the North American market, landing placements in key retailers. I scheduled and led private showroom appointments for boutique and major retail buyers, and I also trained and supervised a team of two sales associates in account management and showroom presentation.

I managed and curated an industry-leading assortment of 100+ apparel, accessories, and home goods brands for Hickorees.com and Hickoree's Floor Two. From 2009-2015 Hickoree's was one of the most influential retailers in the world, known for introducing lesser known fashion brands to the market from Japan, Europe, and the US alongside artisan home goods, vintage clothing, and nostalgic Americana products.I also organized a series of in-store events including Hickoree’s Japan pop-up shop; Okinawan "Yachimun" pottery exhibition with Kyoshi Matsuda; Sri Threads antique Japanese textile exhibition; Kapital World documentary screening and pop-up; Buaisou indigo dyeing workshops; and more.

Master'S Degree, Sociology Of Education | Arts Education & Social Justice

Bachelor'S Degree, Psychology

International Studies Abroad (Isa), Art/Art Studies, General