An established luxury Menswear Consultant with international design and management experience in the UK, China and Hong Kong. I am one of the few designers in the world to have worked with six Savile Row Brands and the first female Head of Design for Gieves & Hawkes. Other Savile Row brands I have worked with in a design/ consultant capacity are: Kilgour, Scabal, Chester Barrie, Bernard Weatherill & Richard James. A fashion essentialist and facilitator, I would describe my style as a "smart-casual, timeless aesthetic." I draw on the rich cultural heritages of Europe, Britain, China and elsewhere – distilling them to their absolute essence – to create clothing for the man who is as at home in Shanghai as in London, Paris or New York. As a designer, I create for the man that is self-assured, not showy; the man that combines a spirit of daring with respect for tradition – the Entrepreneur, the Adventurer and Traveler, comfortable wherever he is, and at peace no matter what life throws at him. Specialties: • Tailoring, Casualwear & Outerwear • Creative & Design Direction • UX Research • Fashion Illustration & Hand Drawing • Brand DNA - Concept, Strategy & Analysis • Fashion Forecasting & Trend Analysis • Range Planning seasonal collections for different, international markets • Product Development from initial concept to production • Research and Sourcing global fabric mills and vendors • Proven track record of building and maintaining strong supplier relationships • Extensive experience and understanding of Menswear markets in Asia: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, Korea & Japan While many designers assume that Western sensibilities can be projected onto the Asia market with minor alterations, the reality is more complex. Designing and marketing for Asia requires actual working knowledge of the culture. I am one of the few European designers that understands what fabrics, colours, cuts, and non Asian influences work, which don't, and what can be adapted for East Asian markets.
Sounder, a unisex golf wear and accessories start-up based in London. Relaxed, casualwear style on and off the course. Play Well. Working closely with the Creative Director and Operations Director on seasonal collections and special projects. I am responsible for overseeing product management and production throughout the design and development process, advising on improvements of product, quality and margins from initial concepts to final products. Successfully brought production in line with new, implemented critical path calendar and processes, strengthening relationships with suppliers and factories. Collaborative Projects with Heritage and Contemporary Brands include: Gleneagles (Scotland) Carnoustie (Scotland) Random Golf Club (US) Key responsibilities: • Critical path management – planning production schedules and timelines • Monitoring budgets, Expense tracking, managing costings • Driving product, elevating production quality and finish • Sample management, overseeing tech packs, providing technical specifications and grading • Leading Fit Meetings – fitting and sealing samples from initial protos to PPS • Zedonk PLM system- Product/code input, analysing data on wholesale/retail prices and margins • Planning, co-ordinating and placing sample orders and bulk production orders • Logistics and liaising with warehouse team • Managing and mentoring a small team, including freelancers and interns
Brought in to develop new designs, plan, manage new critical path processes and production schedules. Building and strengthening relations with factories in Portugal and Asia, to produce desired ranges within budget and tight timeframe.
Menswear Consultancy and Fashion Illustration services for discerning individuals and companies. Clients include: • Scabal • Chester Barrie • SACCO (sold in Beams Japan) • Itochu Prominent Europe Ltd (Richard James Mayfair, Chester, Simon Carter) • The UKFT • Out There Style Magazine • Creative Skillset Areas of expertise: • Luxury and premium menswear, casualwear and tailoring • Business analysis, research and strategy • Luxury menswear market in China, South Korea and Japan • Trend forecasting & Reports • Concept and design direction mood boards • Collection & Sample Range Planning • Sourcing fabrics, trims and manufacturers • Product development and critical path management • Fashion and lifestyle illustration Public Speaker, Industry Panellist & Visiting Lecturer at: • UAL (Central St. Martin's, LCF, Cordwainers) incl. delivering talks using a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) • University of Westminster • Kingston University
Keynote Speaker to 500+ CEO's and Company Directors of Chinese clothing brands, roundtable talks with the top thirty Chinese Clothing Industry leaders and interview with CCTV at The China Fashion Forum held in Beijing.
WEARFORE, a luxury men's smart-casual shirt label Launched at London Collections: Men in January 2014
As Head of Design, I oversaw the global design and development of Gieves & Hawkes's seasonal formal and casualwear collections for over 130 stores, special Projects and collaborations. Among these were the SS13, FW13 and SS14 collections. • Successfully introduced a more contemporary silhouette whilst managing the transition period during change of business ownership. • Hired and managed two new design teams simultaneously, one in London and the other in Hong Kong. • Presented specially-designed bespoke outfits as part of a presentation for London Collections:Men • Developed exclusive, luxury fabrics and trims with high level textiles mills and suppliers in Europe and Asia, as well as liaised closely with tailoring factories, bespoke cutters and embroiderers in the UK.
Managing the design and development of the entire collection of Gieves & Hawkes's Asia License, retailed in Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau). My work as Head of Design 'youthened' the brand proposition, raised the taste level the Asia License, making it more attractive to consumers and as such, a more commercial and marketable product. Examples of successes include 200% rise in shirt sales for first collection. As Chief Designer, I developed and maintained an in-depth knowledge base in regard to markets, supplier base, competitors and customers' requirements for all product areas. I managed a team in Hong Kong to assist with the design and development processes, cultivated productive relationships with mills and factories and had direct input on all aspects of brand strategy (in-store VM, marketing, advertising and press presentations).
• Introduced luxury RTW casualwear and new, younger clientele to the Kilgour brand which grew rapidly, becoming 50% of the company's core business within 3 years and presented at Paris Men's Fashion Week, where the show received critical acclaim. • Developed Kilgour's first line of denim, jersey, footwear, bags and leather accessories. • To ensure the success of the casualwear line I oversaw design and product development, sourced luxury manufacturers and worked with top European textiles mills. • Managed and mentored assistant designers and interns • Bernard Weatherill (previously part of Kilgour Group)- designed capsule collections for equestrian-inspired womenswear tailoring and outerwear.
Buying and developing high street, bridge brands, and designer diffusion ranges such as Sonia and Marc Jacobs. As part of developing the Urban Outfitters Europe buying strategy, I held internal trend forecasting and direction presentations and conducted regular buying/research trips to New York, Paris, Tokyo and London.
Clients included: Alan Yau, restaurateur - Busaba uniforms Vespa - Capsule collection of leather and sheepskin outerwear All Saints, British Girl Band - bespoke outfits for MTV awards and stage appearances Urban Outfitters Europe - Private Label clothing & Accessories Gill Sailingwear- 2004 "Dinghy" collection (technical sailingwear, buoyancy jackets and dry suits) and the Autumn/WinterGill Sportswear line (casualwear for men and women)
Upon graduating from St. Martin's, I co-founded a men's casualwear label, AKA in London designing and producing menswear and accessories for the 20-35-year-old market. Retailers included Colette, Barneys NY, Barneys Tokyo, Fred Segal, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Jones, Browns Focus, Ships, Agosto, D-Mop, and Urban Outfitters. AKA was featured in key fashion publications GQ, Arena, Arena Homme Plus, The Face & i-D.