Experience

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  Paige Denim

  • Culver City, California

  • SENIOR DESIGNER - DENIM - WASH AND FABRIC

    • Jul 2017 - Present
    • Culver City, California

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  Freelance

  • Greater Los Angeles Area

  • DENIM DESIGNER | SPECIALIST

    • Jun 2016 - Present
    • Greater Los Angeles Area

    Full package denim specialist for private label and in house brands. Management and participation in all processes involved in the making of premium/luxury denim.Concept, sketch, design, pattern, fabric and wash development, fit, sampling and production.Projects include: MONSE, Oscar De La Renta, Mr. Completely, Terra Null, Phillip Lim, OFF WHITE, Rebecca Minkoff, Frankie, Tome, Carolina Herrera, Yeezy

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  Ambi Studio

  • Los Angeles, California

  • Freelance DESIGNER | DENIM EXPERT

    • Jun 2015 - May 2018
    • Los Angeles, California

    Management, facilitation, design, graphic design and physical sample development of allDenim/Woven products and trims for private label clients as well as 2 in house brands.Responsibilities-• Initial design- Sketching, tear sheets, story development, mood/inspiration boards for color/texture/treatment/silhouette/wash/fabric/trim, presentation• Execute all graphic design for hardware, leather trim, labels etc. Work directly with suppliersto ensure they are received on time and to spec. Execute graphic design direction for printand embroidery.• Phase 2 design (Sampling)- Shrinkage testing selected fabrics, Creating blocks with thepattern maker, relaying relevant stitch and construction information to sample makers,development of new wash treatments through various laundries.• Maintain a WIP with Style # relevant information to track all samples• Maintain a WIP for Patterns to track all requests and variations• Conduct fittings and document (written/visual) all amendments, relay all info to the patternmaker in a timely fashion.• Phase 3 design (SMS)- Repeat phase 2 except bigger, better with corrections and costings.Current projects- Tre by Natalie Ratabesi, Oscar De La Renta, TOME, MONSE, Frankie (Collection), Mr. Completely, Terra NullPast Projects- Philip Lim, Off White c/o Virgil Abloh, Frankie B (Relaunch), Carolina Herrerra, Rebecca Minkoff

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  Nobody Denim

  • Australia
  • Retail Apparel and Fashion
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Denim & Innovation Manager

    • Feb 2014 - Jan 2015

    Management and ownership of every tangible process involved in the development andexecution of denim fabrics through in house manufacturing and denim laundry. Supervision of the entire process from design to the dryer in a Vertically scaled business.Responsibilities-• Selecting all seasonal fabrics for womens and mens collections.• Developing new fabrics with mills. Developing new and innovative fabric coating/finishing/processing techniques locally with the assistance of chemical suppliers, air knife coating and bonding facilities, fabric recycling facilities, processing plants and within our own laundry.• Developing new and innovative garment features/construction/wash process.• Documenting all fabrics with initial leg tubes for shade and shrinkage.• Personally responsible for developing all original samples- this included shaping whisker templates by hand. Carrying out all dry process, supervising wet process and documenting/cataloging the general formula for each wash/prototype.• Refining and re-developing prototypes and adjusting formula accordingly.• Complete ownership and management of every laundry process involved in the execution of salesman samples. Ensuring the accurate documentation and creation of all final wash tech packs, along with clear notification of issues or concerns where applicable.• Handover of all information to associated parties.Other seasonal responsibilities included developing new and innovative garment construction details and executing seasonal graphic design artwork for print and embroidery. As well as designing and carrying out seasonal accessories collections which included bags, aprons, cases.This role also required the proven documentation of innovative washes/finishes/ projects and the completion of Bi-Annual applications for 500K "Building Innovation Capability" government grants. - I was successfully granted 500K 2 years in a row.

  • Designer

    • Mar 2011 - Mar 2014

    MENSWEAR DESIGNER-Responsible for designing and executing commercially viable quarterly collections and facilitating QTM, collaboration, and value add possibilities. Hands on development of all washes and wash formula documentation for Mens and Womens denim. Seasonal execution of graphic artwork for t-shirt prints as well as design and hands-on development of accessories collections.Responsibilities include:- Trend forecasting for wash/ treatment/ fabric/ colour/ print and silhouette direction- Sourcing/ Creating/ Developing specialty fabrics, denims, knits, trims and raw materials - Creating owning and presenting seasonal story and mood boards backed by innovative, interesting and marketable concepts and ideas.- Designing the complete range of mens denim and co-ordinates both knit and woven- Initial sketching for silhouette direction, flat sketching for construction and stitch detail, hand over and explanation of sketches to product development and pattern maker.-Selection of all mens denims and knits- Development and approval of lab dips- Personally executing original graphic artwork for mens and womens printed t-shirt category as well as yardage prints- Hands on wash development and formula documentation of all mens and womens denim washes.- Responsible for personally completing or supervising every dry process step to mens and womens salesmans samples to ensure they are of the highest quality possible.- Finalize all wash tech packs with accurate instructions, formulas, references and standards. Hand over final wash tech packs to Planning and Laundry manager.-Develop SMU, QTM where needed- Design, flat sketch, personally sew prototypes for biannual accessories collections including aprons, bags, laptop cases etc.Other responsibilities include fittings, initial costings, working with production to ensure flow of processes for new styles, and working with sales and marketing to ensure that all designs meet customers/brand positioning needs.

  • Sample Machinist

    • Jan 2011 - Mar 2011

    Working in a newly established Lean manufacturing facility my role as sample machinist included the total management, construction and ownership of prototype and pre-production samples; as well as collaborating with and assisting the production manager in stream lining the manufacturing process, eliminating bottlenecks and increasing overall productivity and efficiency.Responsibilities included-Cutting all prototype and pre-production denim samples from card patterns-Sewing all prototype and pre-production denim samples, documenting/timing the manufacturing process where needed, measuring the garment throughout the process and making note of any issues with fabric/pattern/machinery/manufacturing.- Collaborating with design to offer alternative construction methods where price was a concern.-Management and ownership of the timeline, construction and documentation of every prototype and pre-production sample.-Hand over to design each individual sample along with measurements and any relevant notes-Hand over to manufacturing of any garment specific details needle/feed/thread weight/tension/special care instructions/special machine requirements. - Assist production manager in configuring the machinery and workload in order to reduce bottlenecks, implementing an area allocated to constructing and preparing all small jobs/components before launching production in order to increase efficiency.- Creation of schematics involving the placement of machinery for sampling area, small jobs/ kitting area, production manufacturing areas. Working together with production manager in order to configure and fine tune them according to results.

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  Rhythm Livin

  • Gold Coast, Queensland

  • Denim Design Consultant

    • Mar 2008 - Nov 2010
    • Gold Coast, Queensland

    Started Rhythms first Denim Program.Personally developed initial concept/ construction and initial fit blocks as well as sewing original salesman samples.Set up an in house sampling and experimental wash studio for hands on creating fresh details and directions.Custom made one off garments to gift to celebrities and sponsored surfers to generate hype and increase the credibility of the brands denim identity. Consulted with the design team on all things denim

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  Debris Blanc Denim

  • Owner | Designer

    • Jan 2000 - Jan 2010

    As Owner/ Creative Director/ Designer and Production Manager, I ran an in house Bespoke Denim studio called "Debris Blanc".The purpose of Debris Blanc was to create a platform and conductor for aspirational lifestylists. The concept included garment collections, guerrilla fashion shows, lifestyle blogging and Q&A with designers, models and artists. The Debris Blanc garment collections were centered around delivering the absolute perfect looking/fitting garment, with transparency, integrity, honesty and distinction. This was communicated in every aspect from our customer service all the way through to the in house artisinal construction, finishing, washing and personalisation of every garment. We believed that the more of our life we put into our garments the more life you will get out of them.Debris Blanc garment collections consisted of Custom/Bespoke Denim, Commercial Denim, Apparel, Bags and accessories.I managed a team of 4 in house sewers and personally sewed ongoing prototypes and custom one offs. I personally measured each client, created client specific patterns and hand cut both bespoke patterns as well as commercial patterns for all styles.I also created on going analog and digital artworks that were screen printed by hand onto tees and apparel in the studio.The ethos of the brand was not to do seasonal collections but to release stories/pieces as they were made, always continuing to develop and evolve the aesthetic of each named collection.Clients included- Fred Segal- Wasteland- HBO wardrobe- Slash (Guns n' Roses)- Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)- Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)- Jenna Jameson (Adult Entrepreneur)- Ben Gillies (Silverchair)

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  Venus Vintage

  • Tempe, AZ

  • Owner | Picker

    • Jan 1997 - Feb 2006
    • Tempe, AZ

    Vintage clothing and modern furniture business.Specializing in vintage denim, workwear, unusual/rare brands and band tees. As well as furniture, homewares and paraphernalia from the art deco and mid century periods. Wholesale to US and Japanese markets.