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269 Gainsborg Avenue East Apt.2
West Harrison, New York 10604
Cell : (914) - 374 - 2724
Email : zucklevin@aol.com / Portfolio: http://haute.net/people/showcases/1lvkowzfo
Valerie Levin -Zucker

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
As a fashion and graphic designer with over twenty years of industry experience, I have the distinct ability to transfer my very strong design and illustration skills over many different products and areas of specialty. I am extremely Mac fluent while still retaining my hand skills so that I can represent products in both hand illustrations and CAD formats. My recent focus for the last five years was handbags and accessories, from kids and Junior’s through women’s, with price points from Walmart to luxury level. Prior to that I have over 16 years experience as a childrenswear designer from layette through 4-6,4-7. I also have always kept the ability to design prints and graphics, as this is a genuine first love of mine. *Please see this website under the Liz Lange Collections for some of my handbag work. I designed entire LIZ LANGE Diaper Bag Collection: http://www.lizlange.com/ For a full overview my online portfolio, please cut & paste this url: http://haute.net/people/showcases/1lvkowzfo Please give a minute for site to load.

EDUCATION
1989 -1991 Master of Science in Communication Design, Pratt Institute
1983-1983 Summer Abroad scholarship, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Eng.
1981 -1985 BFA in graphic design / fine art, University of Denver-with Honors

EMPLOYMENT (FULL- TIME FREELANCE AND CONSULTING) 2001 -PRESENT

La Regale LLC ~ New York, NY (Jan. 2011 - 2015)
Director of Product Development and Design
• Designed 2 Spring lines and 2 Fall lines of new evening bags which were received very highly
• Traveled to Hong Kong for 5 weeks to develop samples and work with numerous factories to design and cost all new bags –traveled again to Hong Kong as freelance designer August 2012
• Traveled to Europe (London, Paris ,and Florence) to purchase samples and relay trends ( 4 times)
• Inspected (and corrected when needed) over 200 samples for Spring 2012 line
• Wrote daily emails to our HK Office to create samples for special customers and make sure all sample were correct and on time
• Learned costing and mark-ups for all customers, in addition to working with Target
• Team leader for the identification and implementation of changes designed to increase the quality and quantity of production
• Sold to customers such as Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Macys, major department stores and boutiques

2010-2011 Sr. Designer , Liz Lange Division, Stone Mt. Accessories NYC, NY
Responsibilities included designing, CAD and hand drawings of moderate to Target level handbags and diaper bags that resemble high-end handbags. Responsible for design & development of Liz Lange diaper bag line (including finished samples,etc)and
Liz Lange Completely Me handbags for HSN. Also responsible for Liz Lange Target.

2009-2010 Freelance Designer, Sears Inc.- NYC, NY
Responsibilities included computerizing allover prints and doing repeats, plus sketching bodies for women’s plus size garments. Additional help as needed.

2003-2010 HIS Juveniles Inc.–Graco & Jeep Licenses -Freelance Dir. of Prod. Development
Design juvenile products (changing pads / diaper bags / accessories/ backpacks)
from development through final product. Responsibilities include creating entirely new
specs , CADS & hand illustrations , developing textile prints, creating logos and
graphics ,as well as tech packs to be sent overseas. Work directly with Owner. Sold
to Target , Wal-Mart , Babies R Us ,etc.
2007-2008 Design Director, Timi & Leslie, Inc./Essentials Brands Los Angeles, CA
Responsibilities included designing, CAD and hand drawings of luxury to moderate handbags and diaper bags that resemble high-end handbags. Responsible for design & development of Liz Lange high-end diaper bag line (including finished samples) which launched in November 08. This included designing all hardware, development of print linings and specs for Asia. Responsible for training / managing Jr. Designer / graphic artists etc . Also designed kid’s high-end handbags, travel accessories, and textile print development. Traveled to L.A. often and worked trade shows, etc.

2007-2009 Senior Designer, Hyp, Inc./Topzip Inc- NYC, NY
Responsibilities included designing children’s accessories, backpacks, and
Lunch bag line including all graphics and CADs, as well designing and CAD
Drawings of handbags and lunch bags for Jim Benton license for kids and tweens . Responsible for overseas production , spec packages, sample approvals, etc.

2006-2007 Freelance Senior Designer, Wathne Unlimited, NYC, NY
Responsibilities included designing a men’s and women’s clothing line including
all graphics and CADS, as well as designing and CADs of handbags and cosmetic bags for Lancome. Responsible for developing new allover fashion prints and logos for numerous projects while working closely with President and V.P. of Co.

2006-2006 Sr. Children’s Accessory Designer, Worldwide Dreams Inc, NYC, NY
Responsibilities included designing fashion development and fabrication for kid’s
luggage / backpacks/handbags, etc. for American Tourister Kids and various licenses
Responsible for overseeing artists and freelancers. Worked with color forcasting companies , etc. and with factories in Asia. Responsible for computerizing final
Product sketches, spec packs, and overseeing all strike-offs and approvals with Asia

2004-2005 Director of Product Development-Handbag Div., Glimpso LLC, NYC, NY
Began work on labels / logos. Designed allover prints, lining prints, bags, fabrications, CADs, and hand sketches of bags, and print repeats. Traveled to Asia to work on Target Private Label bags, was promoted to Director of Product Development for the Caboodles Division. This involved designing the Spring and Fall lines, designing all original prints, logos, and repeat patterns. Also, traveling to Asia again to work with factory on bag development and development of roller prints for the entire Fall line (120 +) styles. Finally, designed for in house luxury line which involved bags at price points of 400.00 and up, researching trends and fabrications, working on hardware development, lining prints, CADs , and hand sketches

PREVIOUS CLIENTS : Delta Enterprise Corp. –Full-time Design Director for soft goods and metals
Designed all fashion development for juv. products (umbrella strollers ,furniture etc.)
No Kidding Inc. -Freelance Designer Girls 4-16/Toddler girls & accessories
Designed girls clothing/art for clients including Wal-Mart, Self Esteem license, Penny’s
Rashti & Rashti –Freelance Designer for layette and gift sets
Safety 1 st / Dorel Juvenile Group / owned by Costco –Freelance Fashion
Manager/Prod. Development
Designed prints & directed trend development for Juvenile products,
Chidrens Apparel Network / Nanette –Freelance children’swear Designer
Graco Inc. - Freelance Designer / Print artist
Little Me / Schwab –Designer / Artist
Dundee/ Springs Industries – Freelance childrenswear designer/packaging ,etc.
Kid’s Headquarters Ecko Baby launch – Designer/Merchandiser
Designed newborn and infant boys from inception-final samples for Ecko Baby launch
Celebrity International – Childrenswear designer for Lovespun line-boys & girls

EMPLOYMENT (FULL TIME PERMANENT) 1986 -2001
1998-2001 Head Designer / Jr. Merchandiser, Children’s Apparel Network Nanette -NYC
Responsibilities included designing sportswear lines for Layette, Newborn & Infant Boy’s and Girl’s better market customers such as Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Burdines, Bon Marche, etc, and mid-tier as well. Responsible for overseeing staff of twelve, running sample room, overseeing artists, production assistants, freelancers, sampling and buying from fabric, trim, print and design / color forcasting companies. Also, responsible for computerizing final croquis and overseeing preparation of packages for factories overseas, including indicating placement, fabrics, trims, and art specs, researching trends, new fabrications and silhouettes etc.

1997-1998 Head Designer/ Merchandiser, Gift set/Accessories, Baby Boom Inc.-Mitzi–NYC,
Responsibilities included designing new gift vehicles and diaper bags, merchandising
lines, traveling to make presentations, working with factories in Asia concerning specs
and color approvals, fabrications, etc. Supervised Jr. Designer/Artist while over-
seeing design of layette bodies, accessories ,and gift sets. Private label included
Target-Cherokee & Lullaby Club, Wal-Mart, Sears Penny’s etc.as well as higher end.

1990-1995 Jr. Art Director, Babyfair Inc, NYC, NY
Responsibilities included creating screen print art, appliqués, and fabric designs for
boys and girls (newborn – 4-7): designing logos, patches, hangtags, labels, & present-
ation boards; creating hand painted samples and acetates. Worked with licensees such
as Peanuts, NFL, MLB, Sesame Street and the Simpsons. Worked. on Mac computer.

1986-1988 Visual Display Artist, Burdines, Federated Inc, Tampa, FL
Designed graphics, displays, mannequin changes, cosmetics, seasonal trim, outposts.