Dweet
Dweet
Open to Permanent
Open to Permanent

Daniel Nieto

Senior Footwear Designer
Portfolio website
About

Specialized in designing Dress & Sports Footwear for Women and Men, I have had the privilege of working across diverse brand aesthetics, target customer demographics, and international markets. My design approach is marked by a unique blend of creativity, meticulous attention to detail, hands-on technical skills, and a wealth of experience in developing collections in factories across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Throughout my journey, I have consistently been recognized for my innovative, technically proficient, inspiring footwear designs and ability to foresee trends to deliver beautiful and wearable shoes. I am a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, where I was honored with the 1st place award in the Next Generation Awards for Excellence in Footwear Design by The Accessories Council in 2010. My career has taken me to live and work in various countries and factory environments, exposing me to a rich variety of craftsmanship, materials, cultures, and beliefs. These experiences have become a deep well of inspiration for my work. I am driven by a passion to create impactful designs that blend cultural and fashion knowledge with modern design, technology, sustainability, art, innovative materials, and emerging trends

Previous Brands
FLASH DESIGNS INC.
ASH
Kardashian Kollection for Sears
DVF - Diane von Furstenberg
Calvin Klein
Donna Karan NY
Bliss Lau
Colombian Luxury Lifestyle Fashion Expo Show at the Metroloplitan Pavilion - NYC
D'Nieto Accessories
Work Experience
Footwear Designer / Consultant
Jan ‘17 -
FLASH DESIGNS INC.

Flash Designs Inc., New York, NY (2017-Present) Dress Footwear, Sneakers & Accessories Design Consultant • Design consultant for contemporary and luxury fashion brands including Gagan Paul -Paris, ASH, Dolls Kill, Britney Spears Collection, Kardashian’s Collection, Amari Cooper Sneakers, MLO, BagSnog, & More. • Developed original sneaker styles with molded outsoles representing brand identities. • Created and oversaw several footwear designs from concept to final samples creating seasonal full collections. • Revamped best-selling styles with modern materializations and seasonal updates.

Senior Footwear Designer
Jan ‘14 - Dec ‘19
ASH

Footwear Designer
Aug ‘13 - Sep ‘13
Kardashian Kollection for Sears

-Created 35 designs for the Kardashian Kollection, then to be sold nationwide at Sears. -Conceptualized Mood boards and followed Creative direction for the collection from Karsdashian sisters including styling, mood and color palette. -Offered Color cads of each shoe with color options of material/fabrication ideas with pantone numbers.

Footwear Designer / Assistant Footwear Designer
Sep ‘10 - Aug ‘13
DVF - Diane von Furstenberg

• Worked directly with Founder Ms. Diane von Furstenberg, Creative Director Yvan Mispelaere and Directors of footwear Nico Berny & Bernard Figueroa. • Collaborated with the Shoe Design Director throughout the design process of full collections of Dress Footwear initial concept to final production. • Hand sketched, illustrated, detailed and tech-packed original designs for the Pre-Fall, Fall, Resort & Spring 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 collections. • Launched and developed collections with factories in Italy, Brazil, and China. • Oversaw PD teams from prototype corrections to fittings and final SMS samples. • Sourced and gathered leathers, materials & trends at Lineapelle Italy. • Created and presented reports/analysis of materials, techniques, colors, trends forecasting & themes for the collection to Ms.¬¬Von Furstenberg, Creative Director, Marketing and Design Teams. • Assisted Creative Director at all seasonal fashion shows and presentations for the footwear division. • Presented and cross functioned key information to create a unified vision of RTW, handbags, SLG and the Footwear collections.

Accessories Design Trainee
Feb ‘10 - Sep ‘10
Calvin Klein

Footwear Design Intern
Aug ‘09 - Dec ‘09
Donna Karan NY

Assisted footwear design team lead by Footwear Creative Director Paul Andrew.

Accessories Design Intern
May ‘09 - Jul ‘09
Bliss Lau

•Helped to handcraft new jewelry designs for the collection •Assisted in PR appointments and meetings •Enhanced and updated the efficiency of the production by creating new methods and systems •Aided with fall production and follow ups on all orders •Oversaw visual merchandising for trunk shows and special events

Producer
Jan ‘09 - Dec ‘09
Colombian Luxury Lifestyle Fashion Expo Show at the Metroloplitan Pavilion - NYC

Coordinated, directed & oversaw entire production of the show Cast models, make up artist and hairstylist for all of the Fashion Shows Created floor plan of the runway and arrangement of the booths for the expositors

Founder / Designer
Feb ‘08 - Sep ‘09
D'Nieto Accessories

Languages
English - Fluent
Spanish - Fluent
French - Work Proficiency
Italian - Work Proficiency
Portuguese - Work Proficiency
Recommendations
Jennifer Ching
Direct manager - Design Director, Footwear & Accessories, Dolls Kill
Aug 2021 - Mar 2023

Daniel has a keen eye for detail and elevated aesthetic. His approach to design is methodical and thoughtful. He is able to clearly convey ideas and articulate design thinking. He is a team player and all-around good human being. Anyone would be lucky to work with him.

Bernard Figueroa
Direct manager - Vice President of Design, DVF - Diane von Furstenberg
May 2010 - Sep 2013

Daniel is very creative designer. He is a hard worker always ready to find ideas and solutions to have them executed. I highly recommend him for his talent and character

Manon Frappier
Direct manager - Senior Vice President, Calvin Klein
Feb 2010 - Sep 2010

During our tenure at Calvin Klein in the accessory design department, I had the distinct privilege of overseeing Daniel Nieto's exceptional talents and creative endeavors. From the very beginning, it was evident that he stood out in a league of his own. In an industry where uniqueness and innovation are key, his creativity knew no bounds. But his talents were not just limited to design.Daniel consistently showcased a remarkable foresight, anticipating projects and seamlessly navigating any challenges. His readiness to assist others, coupled with an astute understanding of the fashion industry, made him an invaluable asset to our team. Above all, what truly set Daniel apart was his infectious and sunny disposition. His positivity and fun-loving nature effortlessly transformed the ambiance of any room he stepped into, making even the most taxing workdays feel a tad bit lighter and more pleasant. In luxury , where brand identity and aesthetics go hand in hand, Daniel's impeccable blend of talent and character is rare. Any institution would be fortunate to have such a gem within its ranks, and I am confident he will continue to shine and elevate the standards wherever he goes.

Catherine Brickhill
Direct manager - Artistic Director , ASH
Sep 2014 - Feb 2019

Daniel is a dynamic talented shoe designer. He brings rich cross-cultural references and inspiration in his work and works with ease and technical agility whether designing a sneaker or a dress shoe. Above and beyond his design and technical capacities he has a global eye for fashion and trends. Daniel is a dedicated team player and an absolute pleasure to work with.

Education & Training
Fashion Institute of Technology
‘06 - ‘10
Bachelor's Degree
Fashion Institute of Technology
‘06 - ‘08
Associate's degree
Paris, France