Creative Director, Brands

• Oct 2020 - Present

Creative Director

• May 2018 - Apr 2020

-Recruited +$5M in new business with customers ranging from opening price point and mass retailers to department stores -Inspired and motivated creative team of 6 across hardlines bath, soft bath, table linens, kitchen and utility rugs and bedding within a $50M+ annual core business -Developed and championed strategic vision for Creative by aligning brand and marketing objectives with the latest design technologies and market trends while adhering to $100k operating budget -Liased with VP of Sales, VP of Sourcing/Product Development, Head of Marketing and the Creative Team/External Design to ensure creative deliverables met all business objectives -Created compelling lines of product to present at Home Textiles Market Week for a range of off price, mass and department store retailers through merchandising, propping and executing a lifestyle showroom space for all four product categories -Collaborated with cross-functional marketing teams to translate creative into clear, executable messages for advertising, ecommerce content, advertising and social communications -Partnered with the Talent Acquisition team in Identifying, recruiting, and hiring talented creatives for the Creative Services team Show less

Director of Design and Merchandising

• Oct 2015 - May 2018

-Launched collections that drove volume of +$250K in new product categories while maintaining growth of retail footprint in core business categories over $2M -Executed product development and tracking, from inception of design to production, following key customer timelines, shipping deadlines, and product specifications through daily correspondence with overseas factories -Drove financial results by providing design solutions for business opportunities that were differentiated from the market place and unique to labels, including business shifts, key initiatives, new product concepts and seasonal focuses -Led my division through seasonal trend research and product design and development processes while leveraging cross-company synergy to evolve and champion design initiatives within tight deadlines -Sourced and established relationships with factories to execute diverse open line and private label development for mass retailers via international trade shows and sourcing expositions -Merchandised assorted and cohesive product lines for table linens, kitchen textiles, decorative pillows and accents rugs within appropriate mass market aesthetic and price points -Measured product efficacy, optimizing existing data gathering and design tools to make data-driven decisions against our product roadmap Show less

• Mar 2012 - Sep 2015

-Provided organizational design thinking and insights to VP of Design, in an effort to maximize efficiency and best structure the design team and equip them for success in their goals-Reinforced a culture of integrating usability studies, research and market analysis into product design requirements to enhance user satisfaction while scaling cross-functional efforts across a globally distributed team.-Managed work flow and aesthetic for a team of 4 designers while successfully executing multiple projects under tight deadlines-Assembled comprehensive product development specifications for overseas mills and oversaw approval of production standards for store set-Corresponded overseas daily regarding product development and sampling of print, cut and sew, woven, and embroidery for soft bath, table linens, and juvenile bedding-Prepared and presented design and trend through boards and product samples both internally and externally Show less

• Apr 2007 - Mar 2012

• Apr 2006 - Apr 2007

CAD Director

• Mar 2005 - Mar 2006

-Managed workflow to ensure urgent deadlines were met while organizing and operating the CAD printers for maximum efficiency -Ensured complete, concise and timely handoff of deliverables, assets, concepts, etc. by creating & updating calendar and schedule management tools and liaising between design, development, and merchandising -Served as project manager for designers to ensure key milestones were met by maintaining key development data and statues. -Cleaned, edited and created color separations for artwork as well as creating repeats and original colorways on CAD -Upheld high customer service satisfaction rate by corresponding with customers quickly and efficiently regarding sample and designs requests Show less

Colorist

• Oct 2003 - Apr 2004

-Matched colors for digital prints on fabric using customer swatches and Pantone chips -Edited patterns on Photoshop and Ramsette III software to prepare them for printing -Organized print schedules to meet customer deadlines -Matched colors for digital prints on fabric using customer swatches and Pantone chips -Edited patterns on Photoshop and Ramsette III software to prepare them for printing -Organized print schedules to meet customer deadlines