As a Freelance Designer & Product Developer I specialise in women's high end fashion and work with clients to create handbags, leather goods, footwear, accessories and swimwear. With extensive experience in design development and production management with two of Australia's most respected design houses, Scanlan Theodore and Windsor Smith, I possess exceptional knowledge of the full product life cycle, flawlessly executing design requests and aiming for client delight. At Scanlan Theodore I established a brand new Belts category, relaunched the handbag category and managed the offshore suppliers. These challenges enhanced my skills and confidence as a designer, project manager and leader. Over the course of my career I have formed outstanding relationships with suppliers in Italy, Spain and China. Understanding and learning how things work and are constructed is one of my great loves. My focus is to appreciate and enjoy the process, because you may not end up where you expected. I bring my clients' visions to life using luxurious techniques and materials. Some of my proudest moments have been watching my passion for creativity become reality in the form of beautiful and versatile products. My work is never set in stone, and there are always twists and turns and possibilities along the way. This is the joy of the design process. I have a particular passion for high end leather goods and accessories; products made for a long life with beautiful craftsmanship.. Clients appreciate my expertise in elevating products to a high quality, providing recommendations on improving existing designs. I'm committed to sustainability in the fashion industry, designing items for longevity, not landfill. I excel in creating and meeting briefs, meeting targets and working within defined budgets and have a deep understanding of competitor analysis. A highly creative, resourceful problem solver with strong attention to detail, I am a true 'people person' who loves building strong relationships. I pride myself on clear communication, patience, flexibility and adaptability and always thinking ahead.
As a freelance designer I partner clients through every step of the design and production process. Specialising in women's high end fashion, I work with clients to create handbags, leather goods, footwear, accessories and swimwear. The services I provide include: - Collaborative development and research for designs - Inspiration conception and mood boards - Technical drawings - Product design - Product development - Tech Pack creation - Sourcing manufacturers - Sourcing materials, organising - Sampling management - Production management - Manufacturer and supplier liaison
As Accessories Product Developer I managed the development and production of Handbags, Belts, Jewellery, Accessories, and Swimwear throughout each product's entire life cycle utilising my strong understanding of construction, techniques, and manufacturing of leather goods. Key Responsibilities: Creating seasonal trend research using fashion and non-fashion media, presenting as mood boards alongside initial drawings. Inspiration collated from latest fashion shows, street style and social media, then refined by understanding the brands' aesthetic and target customer Sourcing and developing raw materials and components, actively using resources and network to find potential options or develop custom pieces; executing prototypes, samples, and pre-production samples to a high-quality standard by developing detailed tech packs with meticulous attention to detail Studying samples upon receipt by carefully checking styles against the tech pack, reviewing workmanship and functionality before presenting to the directors and providing research and recommendations to improve, adapt or change a style. Coordinating all processes and components used in production in a timely manner to ensure goods are received in line with the company timeline Creating schedules and frequently communicating with manufacturers, liaising via skype, email and WhatsApp creating a supportive and collaborative workflow. I built key relationships with suppliers. Key Achievements: Successfully expanded the Belts and Accessories category into Jewellery. Achieved target prices by planning tech packs based on achievability of styles in alignment to the target price. Translated research into detailed technical drawings considering proportion, functionality, components, and construction. Creating mock-ups and toiles if necessary, using knowledge of pattern marking and construction Led Footwear category, reintroduced Handbags category, took ownership of Swimwear category in 2020.
In this role I worked in collaboration with the Category Manager to manage different categories, from sampling and production to research, quality control and project management. Key responsibilities included reviewing new samples upon receipt and discussing comments with the Category Manager, assisting them and the Creative Director in fittings by taking notes and photos; assisting in revision of tech packs with updated comments and instructions, efficiently communicating changes to the manufacturers; updating schedules and documents, ensuring information was always up to date and ready to take into meetings with the directors. Key Achievements: Established Belts category and led sampling and production with guidance of the Category Manager. Created a database and became familiar with European tanneries, suppliers, and manufacturers by researching online on trade fair exhibitor lists, searching LinkedIn and asking existing contacts for recommendations. Created seasonal trend research and developed technical drawings for new and updated styles. Archived all samples, trims, and materials by systematically organising the archive room, liaising with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure the most up to date information was available for all components. Oversee quality control production upon arrival at the warehouse, carefully checking for any inconsistencies to the approved pre-production samples.
In this role I was Assistant to Creative Directors in production and design tasks, responsible for external staff liaison and communication. Key responsibilities included creating and approving prototype, sample and production sample specification sheets; reviewing and advising changes to samples at each stage regarding fit, measurements and materials. Key Achievements: Liaised with staff in China regarding product control and design development through email, face-to-face and Skype, setting meetings, tasks, and deadlines. Operated Apparel 21 daily to check and update production information, costings, and delivery dates. Attended trade show fairs in Hong Kong and Milan with the design team, sourcing new materials and seeking new trends.