Product Development and Production Manager: Handbags and Home Goods

Raven + Lily
July 2022 - Present

• Executed tasks such as identifying new suppliers for materials and manufacturing, sourcing leather from certified LWG tanneries, and overseeing all quality control within the handbags and home goods departments.

• Sourced materials including genuine leather, cactus leather, fabric, trims, and hardware ensuring suppliers were cost effective and aligned with our B Corp standards within sustainable sourcing.

• Reviewed all samples and TOP’s upon arrival for quality control, product integrity, and leather quality.

• Instituted consistency for color approvals with tanneries and artisan partners to ensure our clients receive products within the approved color ranges resulting in strong customer partnerships.

• Produced a leather library of existing leather swatches/ colors and swatches from new tanneries and artisan partners; specifying leather finishes and confirming they are eco friendly and adhering to our mission to be a socially and environmentally conscious brand. 

• Collaboration with the design team to present raw materials that meet brand standards while managing all product development for handbags and home goods. 

• Communicated daily with global artisan partners in marginalized communities such as Ethiopia, India, Rwanda, Columbia, El Salvador, Pakistan, Kenya, and Mexico, building lasting partnerships that focus on regional sourcing, responsible production, supporting women in leadership, and bringing age old crafts to life.

• Managed the renewal for B Corp and FTF ensuring we stand in transparency as one of the 10 brands leading the sustainability efforts in the fashion industry advocating for a responsible approach to design and production. 

Senior Stylist

Stitch Fix
Jun 2015 - Present

• Achieved top Senior Stylist status by exceeding expectations and driving sales up by 40%.

• Executed Peer Coaching program for stylists who improved business line initiatives after 4 weeks.

• Designed men’s and women’s styling visual and copy marketing content for Leadership Team which increased stylist productivity by 30%.

• Headed monthly team meetings increasing stylist education, team engagement, and business productivity.

Product Design Manager

Capelli New York
Sep 2003 - Sep 2010

• Oversaw a Product Development Team that controlled 6 product categories increasing business by 60%.

• Conducted brainstorming and ideation on market trends, created tech packs, and coordinated overseas sourcing for textiles and trim.

• Launched handbag division with multiple price points in fabric, vegan leather, and genuine leather to appeal to a wide customer base, resulting in a 40% increase in sales.

• Sourced and developed fabrics, textiles, and trims including buttons, gemstones, alloys, and plating with overseas factories, ensuring lead and nickel-free standards were met.

• Inspected TOP samples ensuring conformance to brand and client standards.

• Developed and Managed a proprietary multi-season GTM calendar for all channels.

• Partnered cross-functionally with Design, Merchandising, Technical Design: collaborating to develop product that meets both aesthetic and business needs; establishing product line assortment and target margins by category.

• Managed sample tracking, providing charts, metrics, and costs on a regular basis to ensure adherence to budgets and agreed-upon sample counts; achieving target margins of 70- 80%.

• Proactively anticipated and identified challenges in the development process and effectively resolved issues through appropriate actions and communication.

• Extensive relationships with mills and factories in China and India; total vendor base of 15. Travel 2-3x annually.

• Created motivated and skilled teams to drive business initiatives by conducting interviews, hiring, and coaching.

Intern- Fashion Design/ Merchandising/PR

Catherine Malandrino
Sep 2003

• Assisted CEO & sales team in garment retail merchandising.
  Worked in design lab: sourced materials, painted hardware, dyed fabrics, laundered fabric/ garments, organized and logged patterns for Design Team.

• Assisted Fashion Show Productions Team in model auditions, and development/ implementation regarding seating schedule for Spring 04 show.
  Assisted PR manager in daily tasks and preparation for show.

Fashion Intern

The Profile Group (UK) Ltd
Jun 2002 - Jul 2002

• Assisted Deputy Editor and Head Researcher of Fashion Monitor.
  Mastered the Filemaker Pro database.

• Researched current, new, and international contacts, upcoming dates, headline stories, overseas media and designers.

• Represented Fashion Monitor at press views, launches, store openings, and exhibitions.

• Gathered press packets for possible new stories and contacts for Fashion Monitor.