My career started in the fast-paced and ever-changing fashion industry. I had the unique and exciting opportunity to work with many startup fashion brands, developing the concept through production.
BOGA Menswear
The Objective - Launch a new menswear collection based in Chicago, featuring high-end European fabrics, manufactured in Europe.
The Execution - I partnered directly with the president of BOGA Menswear to design, merchandise, source, manufacture, and go to market with the collection.
I developed the tech packs and worked with our technical designer to finalize all the patterns and fit standards. I traveled monthly to Morocco, Spain, Romania, Germany and Italy to work directly with CMT factories and fabric mills to develop product and manage production.
I determined the product pricing, merchandising plan, and “go to market” strategy for sales and distribution. I attended market trade shows to represent the brand and acquire new wholesale accounts.
The Outcome - The inaugural BOGA Menswear collection debuted with luxury dress shirts and denim. During the second season, I launched the additional product categories of tailored blazers, vests, shoes, sweaters, leather belts, and socks.
I created a wholesale sales model, where I developed the seasonal wholesale budget goals and led a team of five regional sales reps. We closed the first five day sales event with UrbanDaddy.com with $75,000 in revenue. The first trade show season booked $275,000 in revenue with only two sales reps.
BOGA Menswear
The Objective - Launch a new menswear collection based in Chicago, featuring high-end European fabrics, manufactured in Europe.
The Execution - I designed and developed the apparel and accessories shown on the model for BOGA, including the dress shirt, denim, shoes, tie, and belt.
Epedimia Designs @ The Apparel Agency
The Objective - This startup yoga/athleisure brand engaged with The Apparel Agency to take over the product development, sourcing, technical design, and production of its second seasonal collection, after having issues with their first agency they hired.
The Execution - I was involved with the sales process to land Epedimia as a client. I explained how we would be able to properly create the garment fit and finish they desired, through proper tech packs at the outset and regular fittings to ensure the final garment specs met the client expectations.
I was able to add on additional services, which included full production of the new collection, sourcing fabrics, designing and manufacturing all new marketing collateral, and taking over their inventory management and order fulfillment.
The Outcome - Epedimia was able to go into production on time utilizing fabrics that were sourced with merchandising continuity, increasing margin and minimizing fabric inventory.
We improved the brand marketing collateral, including newly designed hang tags, heat transfer logos for care/content labels, and marketing materials.
Additionally we were able to help the brand build a stronger merchandising plan which played off efficiencies in fabric purchasing and more effective sourcing practices.
Joriki Yoga @ The Apparel Agency
The Objective - Joriki, a yoga/athleisure brand hired The Apparel Agency to take over the product development of its existing collection. After completion of the first phase of the contract, additional services were added in order to allow our team to fully manage all aspects of its sourcing, fabric printing, product development, production, merchandising, and order fulfillment.
The Execution - My role with Joriki Yoga was a mix of sales, sourcing, product development, and management of the fabric printing and garment production. Additionally, I worked with the agency owner and Joriki owner to develop merchandising plans and product pricing strategies.
Lastly, I was in charge of setting up the inventory management and online order fulfillment for the company.
The Outcome - After engaging with The Apparel Agency, we were able to move an inefficient and overpriced garment production, into an efficiently planned and organized production runs. We sourced fabrics, managed the dye sublimation printing processes, and oversaw the timelines to keep the entire production running on schedule and within budget.
Ultimately, Joriki Yoga was able to launch new collections on time, while making a higher gross margin, through our cost savings found in fabric sourcing, efficient logistics, and properly managed production.
Enanemus @ The Apparel Agency
The Objective - We created a private-label yoga/athleisure collection to take advantage of a trending market, while creating a new merchandising strategy that would disrupt the “blanks” apparel industry.
The Execution - I was a key contributor with the owner of The Apparel Agency to create the concept for the brand, merchandising, and sales plan.
I was an integral decision maker in all aspects of building this new “blanks” athleisure brand, from designing garment styles, sourcing/developing fabrics, managing the production, and creating the marketing story.
The Outcome - After 6 months of development, we launched the first collection of Enanemus, initially selling the collection to new or perspective agency clients as a lower-cost alternative to starting a new brand from the ground up, using our pre-developed garments.
The next phase in the growth of the brand was to develop a wholesale sales network, which I was in charge of building and training. I hired five regional sales reps, trained the team, and managed the sales samples required to sell the new collection.
Marketing and gaining brand exposure was a key aspect to growing the new brand. I worked with my professional network throughout different industries and directly reached out to social media influencers to grow a roster of brand ambassadors to drive exposure to Enanemus.