Walmart Stores Inc
VICE PRESIDENT OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING
• Managed $4.5 Billion in revenue and led a total of 200 associates throughout a network of departments including buying, sourcing, planning, and product development.
• Oversee the product development of apparel for all brands and private labels.
• Re-aligned product categories, adjusted buying responsibilities, and eliminated product duplication
creating focus on the customer segments and increasing both sales and profit margin.
• Modernized kids fashion with strategy of bringing in new leading-edge designers that broadened the customer base, brought in younger aspirational customers, and enhanced the category.
• Managing a team of merchandisers, designers, spec technicians and all supporting associates.
• Directing them with seasonal trend and product directions.
• Communicating with sourcing team daily, regarding productions, costing and future product developments.
• Working directly with buying team on all seasonal buys and product issues.
• Working with GMM & DMM on retail strategies and product assortments.
• Working with domestic & import suppliers on development and production.
• Implementing and executing all corporate strategies.
AE / ABERCROMBIE (GI APPAREL GROUP)
VP OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING
• Responsible for leading design/merchandising for all brands and its related products.
• Managing a staff of 50 up Associates, including satellite offices.
• Creating lines targeted to all Major Retailers in the USA & Canada.
• Developing seasonal SKU plans with Sales staff.
• Working with production team on new and on-going developments.
• PUMA / PHAT FARM (PARIGI GROUP)
VP OF DESIGN & BRAND DEVELOPMENT
• Responsible for creating lines targeted to all Major Department Stores.
• As well as Specialty Stores and National Chains.
• Managing a Design Team & Technical Team staff of 30 plus Associates.
• Researching & developing new seasonal directions.
• Creating strategies on overall company goals with principles.
• BUGLE BOY / (KIC CORP) VP OF DESIGN
• Responsible for creating products w / Sales for the following retailers: FEDERATED, MAY COMPANY,
KOHL’S, TARGET, WAL-MART, K-MART, STAGE STORES, AFIS, AMES, SEARS, JCPENNEY
BROOKS & FITCH
COO / SVP OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING
• Spearheaded and mentored the design/merchandising/product development teams during the product creation process for all of the company’s private label and licensed brands. Championed broader design vision of innovation and elevation of design ethos while creating an environment of collaboration and connectivity within all business teams.
• Promoted to manage entire company’s operation and all P&L
• Responsible for companies short & long-term strategies.
• Led, facilitated, and inspired the design team members to continually seek out new and innovative ways to elevate the caliber of visual design while aligning brand needs and design quality from concept to completion.
• Managed the day to day activities of the design team as related within the product creation process;
managing work intake and overall design project assignment processes by ensuring the design team is proactively meeting project deadlines, adhering to calendar, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, and generating creative design output.
• Drove creative operations collaborating on and setting standards for best in class design processes including illustration, design work flow, and cross functional communication
• Researched and analyzed targeted audience to gain buy-in of design concepts in order to champion and execute new ideas in design and within the creative process.
• Managed and produced creative reviews and presentations, while successfully presenting concepts
and powerful narratives to all management and within the business teams, to influence business and creative decisions.
• Created tools that both visually and verbally communicate the vision and design direction of brands.
• Supported merchandising initiatives by conceptualizing ideas, leading brainstorming sessions, and driving design ideation and concepts that maximize sales potential and meet end user needs.
• Worked closely with merchandising, design, and marketing leaders to develop creative briefs and seasonal trend inspiration that translated brand and product objectives to high-level creative execution.
• Embraced performance data, and developed future creative strategy based on these insights.
• Collaborated and build relationships with cross-functional team members as a design steward between product creation teams of development, technical design, merchandising, design,and marketing.
• Assisted merchandisers as a resource in driving innovative ways to continuously build brands to maintain category leadership while researching fabrication and design trends to champion opportunities for product growth
• Was the fashion and creative expert for the product teams with a keen understanding of the apparel marketplace, and the ability to translate trends to the market that drove innovation and elevated consumer expectations.
• Leveraged external relationships to bring the most exceptional freelancers and vendors to projects
as needed.
