Vanessa Cinquemani
I am a passionate and accomplished creative leader with over 16 years of experience in the fashion industry, specializing in sustainable and premium/luxury womenswear. As Head of Design for pioneers of circular and fair fashion, I lead a team of designers to create innovative and engaging collections that reflect the brand's identity and values, while meeting the needs and expectations of the customers. My core competencies include design strategy, multi-product design, trend research, colour and material management, and creative direction. I have a track record of delivering high-quality and commercially viable concepts, from sketch to production, that balance creativity and innovation with sustainability and ethics. I also have extensive knowledge and experience in textile research and development, focusing on sustainable and innovative materials. I am driven by a mission to contribute to a more responsible and conscious fashion industry, and to inspire and empower others to do the same.
• Led the creative design & development of premium tailoring category, focusing on suits, vests, blazers, jackets, coats, pants. • Managed capsule collections and special projects from sketch to production, utilizing premium and sustainable materials. • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality tailoring designs for Massimo Dutti.
● Seasonal & long-term CREATIVE DIRECTION: Aided the organisation in transforming from a local German brand to a European sustainable leader brand by defining and creating a new hand-writing, serving as a modern, timeless, and brand identity. ● Envisioned, developed, and lead sustainable CONCEPT DESIGNS in according to circular business model while heading the womenswear designers’ team. ● Enhanced brand identity, position at the head of design department guiding the central narratives based on valued macro stories and developing common materials by creating a CSR/sustainability vision aligned with the organization's strategy and culture. ● Conducted and developed in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, the PREFERRED MATERIAL MATRIX and supply allocation, based on business unit strategy, focusing on organic mono materials and innovative eco-fibers and finishing. ● MATERIALS INNOVATION MANAGER and Team Leader member of the Strategic development of ethically oriented decision-making processes "For A Better Tomorrow". ● Execute various day-to-day duties, including developing Product & Design CATEGORY RANGES and fitting to facilitate designers from the first sample to bulk samples. ● Improved collaboration between cross-functional departments to achieve targeted goals within time, including buying team, category manager, technical and design teams.
Led and established the concept design & fabric department for the Womenswear division for the OTB open-tobuy/ fast-track business in terms of 20% of the annual budget. Conducted design & fabric trend analysis, creative mood boards, colour palettes, and key item details. Created and delivered trend presentations to design & buying teams. Defined and developed trend concepts for the e-commerce newsletters by liaising with the MM. ● Maintained compliance of textile research and fabric development with the critical path by engaging and collaborating with European and Asian-based fabric mills/agents. ● Coached and guided a team of 15 designers to implement the concept designs approved by the CPO. ● Boosted online performance by allocating 20% of the total annual budget while identifying and addressing missing trends. ● Established a connection/link between missing trends and annual collections.
Monitored and managed the design process, including preparing line boards, colour palettes for each season/delivery, colour flow, and in-store display. Delivered regular trend presentations to buying and design teams within the casual department, focusing on catwalks’ analysis, blogs, magazines, forecasting agencies and websites, international store visits, web stores’ analysis, and exhibitions to rate fashion trends under the Boston Matrix parameters. Maintained consistency of brand image throughout all product ranges through colour flow, overarching seasonal concepts and trend stories. ● Designed and launched collections according to the target customer groups, price architecture, fashion levels, sales history, growth targets, and domestic/international competitors’ landscape and demands. ● Gauged customer demands every week by visiting stores and conducting domestic/international competitors visits, joining focus groups, and gathering feedback from the retail team. ● Advised and effectively guided buying & design team consisting of 15 designers regarding the collection framework process. ● Improved brand identity, boosted sales by 15%, and efficiently managed cross-cultural teams.
Established an innovative startup based on on-demand services and customised consulting to gain extensive experience in trend forecasting, trend concepts, trend analysis, and visual communication while managing/coaching a team. Offered individualised creative and design guidance/support based on the profile of each customer, including target-focused trend research, seasonal concepts, runaway analysis, colour palettes/colour flow, key materials/details, and key items/must-haves e key materials. ● Maintained up-to-date knowledge of the latest trends in women’s apparel, denim, accessories, footwear, and swim, including graphic and print development by travelling throughout Europe, The US, and Asia. ● Successfully implemented design and delivered the product within time and according to the creative, commercial, and trend standards while overseeing a team of eight designers and graphics. ● Formulated and presented detailed trend, fair-trade, and retail reports to international brands/retailers and social media platforms. CLIENTS included: Marzotto, Orta Anadolu, Yoox, Peserico, Amina Rubinacci, Maredamare fair, Daniela Drei, KBL Group International, Efesis jeans, Mesura Tekstil, Yamamay, Ecco Exe Natural, One jeanswear Group, Godske Group Uk, Cathrine Hammel, Jos Bles, Retros de Ouro, tomorrowltd, Newtimes Group, Schoeller-wool, Liu Jo, Rosso35, Red Eyewear Ltd, Castello d'Oro, Belee, TEN Accessories, Vito Vermeils, Diana Salivate, Lea Bruni, Fantasie tricot, Euroaccessori, Romanticherie lingerie Supermoon OÜ, Risi manifatture, Sueco textil, kingpins Show.
AW16/17, SS16, AW15/16, SS15 collections. Womenswear Design consultant specialised in woven, denim, jersey and knitwear collections while reporting to the creative director. Carried out various duties, such as trend forecasting, attending trade fairs and international travel, techpack sketches, seasonal design concepts, product development with weekly visits, denim laundries, fitting, and final presentation to sales. ● Raised brand profile and designed apparel personalisations.
• Senior Designer responsible for design of stand alone trousers & skirt range + jeans & garment dyed ranges for AW14-15, SS14 collections. • Work closely with creative director researching and presenting seasonal design concepts, colour moods, key fits for upcoming range, new washing direction for denim and garment dyed range. • Design the Trousers & skirts range + jeans selecting fabrics and trims with travels to fabric fairs, factories and laundries. • Follow through from block definition and product development until the fitting of prototypes & pilots. • Responsible for colour cards, approve colours, artwork and fabric qualities for designed ranges.
Fashion designer for Brunello Cucinelli women's collection made in Italy, with focus on trousers, skirts and dresses, and responsibilities in DENIM and garment dyed. Responsibilities • Senior designer responsible for design of womenswear ranges. • Design the (woven and jersey) Trousers, skirt, dress ranges and select fabrics and trims with travels to fabric fairs. • Responsible for jeans & garment dyed ranges, developing new washing and treatments into the laundries. • To ensure consistency in the brand identity and coordination in terms of colour stories/themes across all product categories, designed by other designers. • Attend fit sessions with garment technicians to obtain best fit possible. • Support the merchandising team in presenting the collection to the sales team and to collect their input/feedback.
Fashion designer for Fabiana Filippi women's collection made in Italy. Design of multi product ranges, with responsibilities in jewerly range and small leather goods range . Responsibilities • Senior designer responsible for design of womenswear ranges. • Presentation of seasonal design concepts, colours, key looks and design direction for upcoming ranges. • Design multi product premium ranges that reflect brand identity and modernity. • Select fabrics, yarns and trims with travels to fabric fairs. • Responsible for jewerly range and small leather goods range • Attend fit sessions with garment technicians to obtain best fit possible. • Support the merchandising team in presenting the collection to the sales team and to collect their input/feedback.
Responsibilities • Junior designer responsible for design of womenswear ranges. • Presentation of seasonal design concepts, colours, key looks and design direction for upcoming ranges. • Design multi product commercial ranges that reflect brand identity and seasonal trends. • Responsible for fabrics and trims research with travels to fabric fairs. • Responsible for woven ranges • Attend fit sessions with garment technicians to obtain best fit possible. • Support the merchandising team in presenting the collection to the sales team and to collect their input/feedback.