Skills Textile Design, Surface Design, Fashion Design, Tech/Spec Packs, Machine Sewing, Hand Sewing, Hand Illustration & Painting, Digital illustration, Adobe Creative Cloud, Kaledo Print, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams
JCPenney- Plano, TX February 2020 - Present Textile Designer - Hard Home
Develop original art, print, and pattern for JCP's portfolio of private labels, utilizing appropriate methods to achieve brand-right aesthetics - including hand painting/illustrating, digital illustration, tie dye fabrics, sun printing, etc…
Artwork development item types include (but are not limited to): Dinnerware, Mugs, Kitchen Textiles, Tabletop Decor, Holiday Trim, Decorative Pillows, Pet Toys, Pet Accessories & Pet Apparel, Wall Decor, Floor Poufs, Figural Vases, Outdoor Pillows & Hard Accessories, Home Textiles, Cross-divisional Family Sleep Sets, Family Tops.
Recolor or rework artwork from JCP Textile archives or purchased artwork from print companies.
Work closely with Trend and Design partners, including VP of Product Development & Design, to develop key statement artwork per brand.
Present style guides containing artwork suites for cross-divisional brand collaboration, confirming usability of phrases and artwork with legal prior to handoff to cross-divisional partners.
Break down artwork into appropriate color limitations in and file needs for vendor development. Develop sketches for dimensional goods, (like felted ornaments, molded or carved goods), where required. Exporting artwork and communicating with suppliers on artwork focused discussions in the Flex PLM system.
Balance various projects and brand aesthetics, staying in an adaptable mindset to flow with calendar updates or strategy shifts.
Maintaining consistent communication with team leaders and partners via Teams while working remotely, going into the office on an as-needed basis - typically to pull season color palettes with the design team.
Helped establish best practices for development in the new virtual workplace, creating quick start guides on key workflow programs like Teams or Powerpoint to help the more established team members more easily navigate the new digital workspace.
Work with Soft Home team where additional textile work is needed to hit deadlines.
Conduct and share out market research with Trend and Design team.
Participate in corporate growth courses, implementing skills learned throughout the development seasons. Most recent course being Cultivating Creative Collaboration, focusing on leveraging individual strengths to achieve team goals.
Eastown International - Dallas, TX June 2017 - January 2020 Senior Designer / Artist
Worked remotely full-time with 25% to 35% domestic and international travel.
Maintained constant communication with overseas design directors to achieve desired look for each season. Primarily working in apps such as WeChat to maintain communication and assist with language barriers.
Developed artwork for a broad range of hard home accessories using analog and digital creative methods, utilizing art developed on 2D surface and 3D molded/carved applications.
Conducted monthly market research, following up with trend presentations, suggested artwork/product development with preliminary sketches.
Periodically visited buyers with an overseas sales representative to review development specific to their needs, follow up with meeting notes and presentations as required.
Travel overseas to showroom to work in factory a few weeks prior to trade shows to aid in finishing touches on development, then travel to trade shows such as Jinhan and Canton fair to meet with buyers.
During trade shows, help e-commerce team identify viable products to purchase and sell online as stand alone items (Amazon, Wayfair, etc...)
Worked collaboratively with the design team and design director to create factory-ready technical specifications for home textiles such as quilts, comforters, and decorative throw pillows.
Facilitated the development of styles from design to production, completing all technical specifications & maintaining spec library organized by customer.
Ensured all specifications are within the customer's budgetary requirements.
Conducted market research for new techniques and specifications.
Provided comprehensive comments, revisions, and approvals to the product development team for communication to overseas offices.
Edited all photography for online retail platforms & packaging inserts.
Created packaging inserts as requested by the product development team.
Developed in-house samples as needed for products & packaging.
Worked collaboratively with the design team and design director to create prints and artwork to be used for home textiles such as quilts, comforters, and decorative throw pillows.
Completed technical specifications & maintain organized spec library for each customer.
Creatively designed within the customer's budgetary requirements.
Developed CADs in real-time to serve as visual aids during in-house sales meetings.
Conducted competitive shopping for new product concepts, print and pattern direction.
Provided comprehensive comments, revisions and approvals to the product development team for communication to overseas offices.
Edited all photography for online retail platforms.
Completed product development requests in a timely fashion, communicating with sales team any information needed to properly execute the task at hand.
Worked collaboratively with the Designer and Design Director to create original prints and artwork to be used for home textiles including bedding, shower, and window.
Created all necessary spec files for overseas factories including packaging details, carton marks, and care and law labels, maintaining daily communication to ensure timely production and delivery of goods.
Reviewed all lab dips, strike offs, and samples before mass production of goods.
Conducted monthly market research trips - creating inspired trend boards based on research.
Helped decorate and maintain showroom.
Assisted in sales meetings; sending out comprehensive meeting recaps to buyers - creating sales orders and purchase orders via QuickBooks as needed.
Managed eCommerce accounts such as Zulily, BlueStem Brands, and Wayfair; filled out necessary spreadsheets for online sales, sent daily inventory updates, reviewed all products uploaded to the web to ensure all information is correct.
Maintained a running list of samples sent and received by salesmen as well as samples available in the showroom. Placed orders to warehouse for samples as needed.
Organized a fashion design program within the after-school Advantage program at William-Floyd Middle School.
Taught children ages 10-13 all aspects of fashion design, including: sewing (hand and machine), sketching, pattern drafting, and draping.
Worked collaboratively with other clubs within the Advantage program to help children further develop new skill sets.
Documented and managed incident reports and disciplinary actions.
Directly supervised students during academic work periods, and club and recreation time.
Maintained attendance records & incident reports.
Formed good relationships with teachers and school personnel to establish a cohesive environment and transition from the school day to the after school program.
A.D.(Alyssa Designs) September 2012-Present Owner - Contract-based designer.
Created made-to-order pouches to hold crystal personal massagers by Chakrubs, LLC.
Designed and created dresses worn by local teen pop star (Lexxi Saal) for POP Chip’s POPexplosion Tour 2013.
Designed various apparel and web graphics for Lexxi Saal
Designed various graphic and applique designs for tees in the Fall/Winter collection of Kalulu Kids. Created samples as requested.
Auto Data Labels – Deer Park, NY September 2012-April 2015 Graphic Designer, Quality Control
Re-create auto labels based on photographs in Illustrator, review labels made to be sent out to clients for inconsistencies, track mailed labels to keep customers up to date on when they can expect their product.
Send messages to potential new clients about company via an auto trader website.
Part of the creative process in a small, local business: helped conceptualize and design graphics to be printed onto tee shirts, assist in screen printing and curing process, helped hand-dye goods, sew parts for surf craft products
Kept screens, acetates, invoices, and receipts organized
Kalulu Kids – Brooklyn, NY August 2012-June 2013 Freelance Designer
Sewed samples, graded patterns, designed garments, helped with photo-shoot styling, conducted market research, and developed graphics for tee shirts.
Helped set up for ENK trade show; set up booth, extensive online research to find merchandisers of children’s stores going to ENK, reached out to merchandisers to visit the booth, worked at trade show to help bring merchandisers to booth.
Made required design changes to accommodate efficient manufacturing and costing of products.
Made adjustments to patterns to assure accurate sizing and fit of product during preliminary production.
Helped maintain brand “P.O.V.” (Point of View) and “P.O.D.” (Point of Difference)
Assisted in shopping the retail and trend (fabric/color/fashion) markets seeking new merchandise ideas, as needed.
Actively participated in the conceptual development of the brand with owner of Kalulu.
Created and updated lookbooks/style sheets.
LT Apparel– New York, NY September 2011-May 2012 Practicum Student and Intern
Worked closely with the Director of Merchandising and Design.
Assisted Designers with daily tasks as needed.
Worked with various departments including production, marketing, and sales to fully understand the inner workings of the company.
Conducted market research specific to the LT brand and customer profile.
Created tech packs according to LT’s standards.
Assisted in creating and distributing fabric development packages.
Participated in apparel fitting sessions.
Swimjim Inc – New York, NY February 2010-May 2012 Head Lifeguard & Assistant Manager
Supervised children from 0-14 years old during swim lessons, helped facilitate lessons.
Traveled to estates of celebrity clientele to supervise pools and lakes during private events.
Conducted practical interviews with applicants. Sent full reports for company owners and managers for review.
Conducted oversight of daily functions and logistics of the various SwimJim locations and lifeguard staff throughout Manhattan.
Responsible for proper maintenance of chemicals at various pools managed by SwimJim.
Activites/Service
Sewing Tutor – Deer Park, NY November 2012
Aided aspiring fashion designer in following patterns and successfully creating garments to be used for college applications and interviews.
1 of 4 students sent to Florence, Italy to conduct a full review of the Pitti Bimbo childrenswear fashion shows.
Received press passes and documented all fashion shows. Worked collaboratively with other students in attendance to create a trend report and DVD presentation for review by FIT’s Childrenswear Advisory Board as well as sponsors within the childrenswear industry.
Presentation appeared in Hudson’s Childrenswear Review magazine and website.
Girl Scouts of America –Long Island, NY Fall 1995-Spring 2008
Conducted various community service projects.
Monthly craft projects with senior citizens at local nursing home.