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OBJECTIVE
To join a progressive company where I can be an asset, bringing in my creative experience as a fashion designer. To join a company where I can be the right fit for the brand aesthetic, thus, contributing to the development of great, innovative and viable product. With these elements in place, to create growth on both ends for a long term, successful relationship.

PERSONAL SUMMARY

• Strong, proven taste level and creative eye. A to Z designer.
• Attention to quality and great fit
• Comfortable designing whole collections around coherent themes, functions, prices
and translation of current tendencies
• Understanding of product design in relation to the company brand
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Ability to work and manage within a team
• Self starter and problem solver
• Experienced with overseas manufacturers, vendor correspondence,
appointments, and related
• Efficient work ethics
• Possesses perspective of having owned a business
RELEVANT SKILLS
• PC/Mac Computer: Illustrator, Photoshop, Sketchbook pro, In Design, Word, Excel
• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Extensive knowledge of woven, denims, knits, garment dye and washes, shrinkages, leather, garment and accessories construction
• Hand sketching, CAD flats, presentations, draping, pattern making and fittings
• Hand crafted leather work
• Merchandising and stylist knowledge
• Proficient in Tukatech
• Additional experience in graphic and industrial design

EDUCATION/TRAINING
Art Center of Design: Graphic Design
Fashion Design: over ten years of on the job experience/training and self taught

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Head apparel Designer Kangol: 02/2010 to present , Los Angeles, CA

Achievements: Kangol (apparel) is a relatively new project as a clothing license of the Kangol hat brand. I have brought the project to the furthest it’s ever been, to the final production stage in the shortest amount of time. Contributed to creating a cohesive collection
And brand identity/DNA
This achieved with the following:

Duties:
Responsible for creating new men’s designs, editing previous ones, developing brand DNA details
Created CAD presentations of styles, trims, colors, storyboards
Worked on some patterns, overseeing sample making, fittings, trends and material research
Collaborated with other departments such as graphic and fashion design, production,
tech design, sales, etc
Provided inspiration and direction to design team, organized their work load.
Responsible for vendor correspondence, project reports
Traveled overseas to review final samples, trims, construction of garments, etc
Initiated women’s collection with the same process

• Head Designer/Owner Pagnol 10/09 – Present Los Angeles, CA

Achievements: Created own experimental Denim and twill line as side project, for small niche market

Duties: Design, patterns, material/trims sourcing, branding, overseeing samples, CADs
Look books, styling, etc

• Pattern Maker Joie 6/09- 10/09

Achievements: Efficiently completed pattern making work to overseeing final selling samples for outerwear and bottoms S 10 collection

Duties: computer and by hand pattern making for outerwear and bottoms collection, worked directly with Designer In fittings, line overview. Worked with sample makers to ensure correct execution

• Men’s designer, pattern maker Billy Blues 11/07 – 04/09 Los Angeles, CA

Achievements: Designed first men’s collection for brand according to exciting brand identity, efficiently executed pattern making for several collections/seasons

Duties: Design for men’s collection, trend research, created CADs, computer and by hand pattern making, fittings, overseeing of sample making, organized sample room work load

• Designer/Development Habitual 03/06 – 08-07 Los Angeles, CA

Achievements: Contributed on the creation and development of the brand’s very successful first leather apparel collection
Created the brand’s first belt and bags collections with outstanding results
Efficiently contributed on the complete development of several of the brands most successful
Collections

Duties:
Worked on all areas of design/development on denim, twills, knits, leather SPRING 06 TO FALL 07
Developed/design fall 05 leather collection
designed, developed, produced fall 05 belt collection
Worked on the spring 06 collection development/design on knits, denim, men’s and women’s with design, pattern making, overseeing sample making, developing washes, fittings, etc
Designed spring 06 accessories leather collection (leather bag featured on ELLE mag)
Designed Fall 06 accessories leather collection

• Head designer/owner Pistol 8/03 – 12/04 Los Angeles, CA
Pistol was my own first business of custom made work/design for tour and video wardrobe,
sample making for other lines and small production of own line

Achievements:
Pattern making, sample making for Cosa Nostra, spring 2005
Designed Spring 2004, Fall 2004, spring 2005 collections for own label PISTOL
Placed PISTOL collection in ten high-end boutiques in USA
Custom made work for Marylin Manson, Mariah Carey, Everlast, Shania Twain, Chris Cornell, Korn, black eye peas
Produced sample line for Cosa Nostra Fall 2004
PISTOL designs featured in ELLE (Oct 2003) and Entertainment Weekly (Nov 2003)

• Head designer, Buyer, Store Manager, Public Relations, Product Development
Minkvox/Henry Duarte 4/98-6/03

Responsible for creative direction, designing collections, trend research and overseeing a design team’s work
Created business and marketing strategies
Production research: supplied spec sheets, researched and established relationships with suppliers, contractors and pattern makers
Followed through with all production to sales aspects at retail and wholesale level
Buyer: clothing, accessories and shoes
Performed daily store procedures: sales, merchandising, hiring of personnel, store displays, etc
Directed creation of company website (www.minkvox.com).
Executed custom design orders for celebrities, music tours, videos, films and private clients such as: Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford, Enrique Iglecias, Jerry Cantrell, Chris Cornell, Sheryl Crow, Marisa Miller, Melissa Etheridge, Courtney Cox, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Lopez, Rob Zombie, Billy Corgan, Guns and Roses, Baby Face, Lionel Richi, Alanis Morrisette
Public relations: worked with major magazines and stylists on editorials, music videos, celebrity appearances, and tour wardrobe. Own designs have been featured in FHM UK (May 2003) and American GQ: Vin Diesel cover (August 2002), Jennifer Garner (March 2003), Elle magazine

FREELANCE PROJECTS:

HELMUT LANG: Belts design, development and overseeing samples coherent with clothing collection, spring 2008, featured on style.com

ANITK DENIM ACCESSORIES: Designed, pattern making, overseeing samples within exciting brand identity accessories group for spring 2008

ALPINESTARS: Designer

Achievements: Initiated and contributed on the creation of a successful new sub line
As Designer

Duties: Contributed on a more fashionable motorcycle apparel line AlpinestarsNero as designer. Created designs, CADs, selection of colors and materials, fittings, worked on product branding, spring/2008
See www.alpinestarsnero.com “Paddock” and “Angle” jackets

HELMUT LANG: Women’s product development: material sourcing, pattern making work, overseeing sample for outerwear leather collection, fall 2008

MIKE&CHRIS: Successful accessories design within brand identity, pattern making, overseeing sample making
Pattern making for women’s and men’s apparel spring 2007

KORN, MARYLIN MANSON: Designed and executed tour wardrobe, 2007 tour

DEVELOPMENT: Successful design within brand identity for bags fall 06 collection and spring 07 men’s collection. From sketch to pattern to final sample

SOCIETY FOR RATIONAL DRESS: Designed bag and leather consulting for spring 07 collection

SPECIAL INTERESTS
Motorcycles, Skateboarding, Playing music, Hiking, Mountain-biking, Architecture, Photography, Industrial Design