Experience

jlb

• United States
• Retail
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Director of Creative Strategy: Beauty, Wellness, & OTC

  • Jul 2019 - Present

  Lead trend forecasting, creative strategy, & merchandising for multiple beauty & wellnessclients. Directed in-store & digital experiences & identified customized marketing &creative needs. Closely collaborated with Sales & Business Insights team to analyze &execute key growth & white space opportunities for clients. Lead trend forecasting, creative strategy, & merchandising for multiple beauty & wellnessclients. Directed in-store & digital experiences & identified customized marketing &creative needs. Closely collaborated with Sales & Business Insights team to analyze &execute key growth & white space opportunities for clients.



Slate Collective

• Founder

  • Dec 2017 - Present

  Directed creative vision, brand development, & product execution of womens dress &accessories company Directed creative vision, brand development, & product execution of womens dress &accessories company



Q & Co.

• Freelance Designer and Creative Director

  • Oct 2015 - Present

  Q&Co. offers a range of services in men’s, women’s and children’s categories that consistently meet the demands of Q&Co.'s clients, as well as the ever-changing apparel and accessories industries. Don’t see something you need? Don’t hesitate to reach out; we’re always growing our skill set and might still be able to lend a hand.FORECAST + ANALYSISTrend ForecastCategory Market AnalysisRetailer ReportMerchandising RecapCONCEPTArt DirectionColor PalettePRODUCT DEVELOPMENTFabric and Trim DirectionOriginal DesignPrint and Pattern*Tech PackPRODUCT EXPERIENCEMerchandising StrategyFocus Group*http://www.qcodesign.com*limited services available



Tai Apparel

• United States
• Retail
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Design Director

  • May 2017 - Jul 2018

  Design Director for apparel vendor, specializing in mass market and boutique retailers. Oversaw entire development process, from trend, connecting, and production. Adhered to multiple calendars, presented to retailers, as well as managed a team of 5 designers.* Analyzed and directed trend for Juniors and Girls* Created seasonal mood boards and color palettes* Developed and designed into line plans, as well as merchandises assortments for multiple accounts* Presented collections to several retailers in a variety of categories* Leader, who managed a team of 5 Designers* Sourced fabric, washes, prints, and graphicsDivisions include: Women's, Juniors, and Kid'sCategories include: cut/sew knits, non-licenses graphics, wovens



The North Face, a VF Company

• United States
• Retail Apparel and Fashion
• 700 & Above Employee

• Designer - Sportswear

  • Nov 2014 - Nov 2015

  Designed fashion-forward, functional, & innovative mens sportswear. Lead brand concepting, material, & trim development, & fit sessions. Designed fashion-forward, functional, & innovative mens sportswear. Lead brand concepting, material, & trim development, & fit sessions.



Old Navy

• United States
• Retail
• 700 & Above Employee

• Designer - Maternity and Plus

  • Mar 2014 - Nov 2014

  Designer for woven bottoms, denim, outerwear, and lounge for Maternity and Women's Plus size clothing. Designer for woven bottoms, denim, outerwear, and lounge for Maternity and Women's Plus size clothing.



Target

• United States
• Retail
• 700 & Above Employee

• Global Sourcing Manager - Big Girl Cherokee

  • Feb 2013 - Feb 2014

  - Developed and maintained optimal vendor matrix through strategic, long-range planning. - Utilized negotiation skills and costing expertise with vendors and internal team to achieve desired quality/design/trend.- Managed effective communication with overseas partners and cross-functional team to ensure flawless execution across the supply chain.

• Designer - SWAT

  • Aug 2012 - Mar 2013

  - Promoted to Designer for the unique Target SWAT design role, which provides urgent design talent to unfilled positions. As a SWAT designer I had to immediately adapt to department intricacies while quickly collaborating with new teams to influence and execute merchant and design strategies. - SWAT Designer role included owning the entire ideation and execution of womens Merona and Mossimo Black outerwear. Total fall/winter assortment included 29 different programs.- Received the VP of A&A PD&D award, which honors outstanding performance in Design for my collaboration in the guest segment research and analysis of the Target outerwear business.

• Wovens Designer - RTW Mossimo Black (Contemporary)

  • Apr 2011 - Aug 2012

  - Conceived and drove the design strategy and execution for the women’s wovens for Target's contemporary brand. Categories in wovens included dresses, blouses, skirts, pants, and shorts. Sales in 2012 for Mossimo Black wovens were $364M with an +8% comp.- Coordinated the entire Mossimo Black brand re-launch, as well as initiated an innovative guest experience analysis that influenced the cross-functional team as well as internal processes.- Owned and influenced the conceptualization of the Mossimo Black seasonal stories and color direction, and presented to design and merchant leadership.- Spearheaded the reinvent of the Mossimo Black wear-to-work pants business by right-sizing the assortment with must-have silhouettes as well as partnering with the technical team to create different fit stories and created a destination on the floorpad through cohesive merchandising. The category saw +45% comp from previous year.- Managed all communication and built strong relationships with design-assist vendors.- Forecasted trend and attended trade shows and market appointments.- Mentored two Associate Designers through career development. - Design collaborator for Target + Neiman Marcus

• Sweaters Associate Designer - RTW Merona

  • Jan 2009 - Apr 2011

  - Drove newness and growth of the Merona sweaters assortment through innovative and feminine design. 2011 Merona sweaters sales were $156M, and 62% of total Target’s women’s sweaters business.- Attended weeklong class in NYC to gain further knowledge and understanding of the complex technical aspects of sweater production.- Contributed to the creation of seasonal concepts for Merona through analysis of trend and guest segments and creative presentation.- Traveled to various cities to research guest segments and identified inspirational samples and mood influences that correlated to product and concept implementation.- Managed total team budget by providing individuals on the 11-person team with financial plans, and updated manager regularly on the status of the team’s resources.

• Assistant Designer - Girls Cherokee and Xhilaration

  • Jul 2007 - Jan 2009

  - Designed and executed girls Cherokee brand dresses and knit tops.- Managed the trend research and led the design-assist vendors meetings for the Xhilaration brand- Member of the Target Product Design + Development Onboarding committee which facilitated a welcome group for new employees in the creative fields, and provided support and engagement.



Allison Quinnell

• Design Director

  • Aug 2008 - Jan 2011

  - Concepted, designed, and executed all aspects of namesake women's ready-to-wear line.- Sold Allison Quinnell line at three Minneapolis retailers, which included collaboration with store owners to design exclusive content for clientele. - Featured designer at the 2009 Voltage: Fashion Amplified, the finale fashion show of Minneapolis fashion week. - Concepted, designed, and executed all aspects of namesake women's ready-to-wear line.- Sold Allison Quinnell line at three Minneapolis retailers, which included collaboration with store owners to design exclusive content for clientele. - Featured designer at the 2009 Voltage: Fashion Amplified, the finale fashion show of Minneapolis fashion week.