CV
OTRA VOX / Co-founder & Creative Director
2019 - Present
Otra Vox is a Los Angeles-based artist co-op, gallery and online print shop hosting events and exhibitions by local and international artists.
- Creative direction of programming, marketing and brand identity
- Administered community development programs coordinating with other galleries and nonprofit organizations for exhibitions and fundraising.
- Discovered and fostered relationships with domestic and international artists for the curation of print sales and gallery exhibitions
- Managed and planned gallery and event calendars
- Developed and managed online print program, vendor supply chain and production
- Built and managed online store and social media platforms
- Created all graphic design and marketing content
- Developed and executed marketing campaigns and promotions
- Advised and aided residency artists in project based goals
- Managed occupancy and community of a multi-studio artist co-op
COMUNE / Creative Director
2015 - 2019
Comune is a seasonal woman’s contemporary brand that services over 2000 specialty boutiques and major department stores.
- Responsible for operational and brand management working with CEO and all departments to lead product development and content distribution
- Built, managed and directed creative teams in product design, marketing, and e-commerce
- Directed design teams overseeing development and delivery of seasonal collections while ensuring consistent brand messaging and products
- Managed and created policies and workflows for all creative departments
- Created and managed budgets and lineplans to ensure controlled growth and offerings
- Lead design presentations and reviews with design, merchandising and sales teams
- Worked with sales and design teams to improve product offerings and capitalize on trends and opportunities
- Presented seasonal demographic reports and customer targets to CEO, sales and creative teams
- Lead marketing, e-commerce and social media teams in creation of online content to ensure consistent brand messaging and outreach
- Created and managed marketing budgets and plans to support the sales of products and build brand culture
- Directed and created industry tradeshow and wholesale presentations including displays, point of sale, catalogs and lookbooks, and retail branding
- Secured domestic and international factories and trading companies and coordinated with logistics team for seasonal and ongoing production delivery
- Directed and produced seasonal campaigns, lookbooks, and catalog shoots with a network of photographers, stylists, model agencies, and set designers
- Secured domestic and international factories and trading companies and coordinated with logistics team for seasonal and ongoing production delivery
- Worked with CEO to develop pitches and decks for new brand development and opportunities
THVM / Co-founder & Creative Director
2009 - 2015
THVM was a women’s and men’s contemporary denim brand offering competitively priced products to top tier one retailers
- Co-founded and secured partnerships and financing for international business
- Developed business plans, P&L, projections and secured funding and share distribution
- Worked with international distributors and PR agencies including Europe, Asia, and North America territories
- Directed and managed creative teams in design, merchandising, and marketing
- Conducted bi-monthly market analysis to review trends and market share
- Created and audited expense reports, cost analysis, and projections
- Planned and managed budgets for product development and marketing
- Created seasonal design direction and lead product development
- Created first patterns, blocks, and target specs for fit
- Lead production team in domestic and import production
- Secured contracts with domestic and international denim mills, wash houses and factories
- Created industry tradeshow and wholesale presentations including displays, point of sale, catalogs and lookbooks, and retail branding
- Directed ecommerce and social media teams to distribute content and products aligned with marketing programs
- Created conceptual campaigns and produced interntaional photoshoots
- Worked with PR firms and stylists to obtain product placement for celebrity and print publications including Vogue, Elle, Glamour and GQ
- Developed marketing projects and programs to build brand culture including successful collaborations with supermodels, bloggers, and ambassadors
- Awarded SS12 Best Independent Denim Campaign on Stylesight.com
- Developed sustainable and organic programs with fabric mills, wash houses, and retailers
- Organized international pop-up stores, sponsored cultural events, and other collaborative events to strengthen brand culture
- Managed a 7000 sq ft multi-disciplinary studio, retail and event space to build a strong brand hub supporting local and international arts and music
- Secured and built relations with major international department stores and tier one key accounts including Seven NYC (USA), H. Lorenzo (USA), Revolve clothing (USA), Need supply (USA), Ron Herman (USA), Saks Fifth Avenue (USA), Urban Outfitters (USA), Holt Renfrew (CAN), Selfridges (UK), Liberty (UK), Isetan (JP), Ships (JP), Excelsior (Italy), Luisaviaroma (Italy), Lagarconne (FR), and Joyce (HK)
THVM RAG / Creative Director
2009 – 2012
THVM RAG was an annual magazine publication highlighting inspiring culture, arts, and creativity.
- Directed and Managed creative and marketing teams in themed content
- Secured production press in Italy that delivered highest quality product
- Secured distribution with Action Press in France (Self Service, Purple, Vogue, L’Official, Elle) placing the magazine in the top bookstores and newsstands around the globe
- Created concepts and themes for each issue and worked with team of over 40 contributors per issue to ensure consistent content
- Selected from submissions from around the globe including Cuba, Russia, France, Italy, and USA.
- Planned and threw events in NYC and LA
- Worked with marketing team to secure sales of advertising
- Directed and Produced editorial photoshoots internationally
- Worked with editor in chief to build outreach and discover international cultural leaders and content
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Orta Anadolu / Creative Consultant
2011 - 2013
Orta Anadolu is a leading Turkish denim mill based in Istanbul
- Worked closely with design team to develop and test seasonal fabric offerings
- Designed and produced seasonal collections while creating progressive washes and treatments for industry presentations
- Attended international trade fairs to present collections and educate brands on technical and mechanical properties
- Created photoshoots and marketing content for themed collections
- Assisted in trouble shooting technical errors in performance and investigated quality issue claims from customers
- Created a partnership with Denim Tech wash house and Orta Anadolu to develop a vertical manufacturing eco-friendly process
- Travelled bi-monthly to Istanbul office and factories and lead all staff meetings to present seasonal trend reports to design and development teams
- Created a traveling exhibition that showcased their fabric collection in partnership with retail stores and trade shows
Kill City / Denim Designer
2006 - 2009
Kill City was a contemporary women’s and men’s line based in Los Angeles CA
- Developed line plans and designed across multi-tiered price points for all inhouse brands
- Created tech paks for both domestic and import development and preproduction
- Worked closely with import and domestic vendors for development and design
- Implemented research and development plans and trend forecasting
- Designed and developed progressive washes and dying techniques
- Worked closely with sample room to develop first protos and design details
- Conducted meetings with fabric and trim vendors to execute seasonal purchases
- Lead fittings for both men and women bottoms
- Lead design presentations for inhouse brands and private label
- Worked closely with private label accounts (Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Pac Sun) to design for target markets
- Assisted in developing line plans and direction for Urban Outfitters’ brands BDG and Silence and Noise
- Executed production of salesman samples and marketing material
Work Custom Jeans / Co-founder and Creative Director
2002 - 2006
Work Custom Jeans was a bespoke atelier in Echo Park
- Handmade 300 custom jeans in three years working with clients of all body types and from different demographics
- Created a fully bespoke process including patterning, handmade finishing and embroidery for each client
- Managed an inhouse production team and rigorous fitting schedule
- Worked with mills and vendors to develop custom limited fabrics and trim
- Produced collaborations and limited runs for Ron Herman, Scout, and Isetan Japan
- Created custom jeans for celebrities and musicians
- Designed wholesale line for a joint venture and eventual acquisition by Indigo Group USA, which sold to retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstroms, and Neiman Marcus
SKILLS
Creative Direction & Management
- Strong management, planning and policy creation
- Experienced business development and financial planning
- Securing relationships and partnerships in financing, manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution
- Well balanced creative and business initiatives
- Fiscally responsible and ability to maintain budgets and reduce spending
- Ability to create and execute large and small scale directives and goals
- 14 years of management, creative direction, and leading multiple teams
- Worked with over 20 international manufactures, pr firms, and distributors
- Supportive and patient in leadership
- Flexible thinking and problem solving
- Experience as a leader and also working under others
- Strong Delegation of workload and ability to get involved in details when necessary
- Ability to focus on and execute multiple departments, issues, and challenges
- High emotional intelligence and professional work ethics
Marketing & Branding
- Strong branding and culture building
- Producing creative and innovative marketing programs and customer engagement
- Strength in collaboration and understanding of unique processes and sensitivity to adverse creative temperaments
- Well versed in trends and market research and contemporary culture
- Technically minded and strong abstract thinking to actualization
- Develop and maintain strong relationships and partnerships
- Directed and produced over 200 photoshoots
Design
- Well versed in product, retail, and graphic design
- Proficient in PC and Mac
- Excellence in Adobe Creative Suite, Photography editing programs and MS Office
- Experienced in online ecommerce platforms and website building
- 17 years of professional patternmaking and sewing construction
- Extensive fabric, wash and construction knowledge
- Created over 80 seasonal collections
- Excellent hand drawing and computer rendering skills
EDUCATION
San Francisco Art Institue
BFA in Interdisciplinary Arts
1995 - 2000