My objective is to act as a Product Developer combining creativity, fashion sense, business acumen and the ability to translate trends into a profitable and coherent brand assortment.
Skills
More than 18 years in the fashion industry, from buying to product development to trend forecasting
Trend Forecasting with familiarity in presentations
Product & Private Label Development
Category & Brand Management
Vendor Negotiation, Budget Management & Sourcing in China
Line sheet and tech pack responsible
Brand Awareness & Merchandise Assortment
Analyzing Sales Data & Market Research
Social Media & Marketing Responsible
Advanced knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Independent thinker and problem solver
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Excellent communication and leadership skills
Award-winner graphic designer.
Accessory Designer, MIMO (Meaningful Ideas for Meaningful Objects), my own line.
Toronto July 2007 – date
Works on all aspects of the product development: from trend forecasting, to creative concept, source of materials, line creation, production, marketing, social media and sales. Other responsibilities include developing and establishing partnerships with key leather/fish suppliers and metal related manufacturers. Responsible for brand strategy and merchandising planning. Manages up to 4 employees in multiple capacities including production, sales and business administration.
Trend Forecaster and Fashion Consultant, Use Fashion, (www.usefashion.com), Brazil
Toronto Dec 2011 – Dec 2015
Use Fashion is an online signature-only fashion forecasting agency renowned in South America for its directional trend analysis, cool hunting and current fashion reports. With more than 15 years of history and customers like Zara, Levis, Converse, Grendene, C&A, Lenny, Renner and Triumph.
Responsible in writing and presenting trend forecast reports for all commodities – men’s women’s, jewelry, footwear, swimwear and accessories. Worked on translating high-level catwalk trends into meaningful reports that would educate retailers on must-have trends and items that could not be missed in the season. Responsible for “what’s on the streets” trend analysis reports.
Footwear Product Developer & Sales Responsible, The Shoe Group INC.
Toronto Sep 2008 - Mar 2011
The Shoe Group is one of the leading women’s private brands footwear suppliers in Canada with more than 20 years of experience in the fashion industry working for companies such as Hudson’s Bay, Wal-Mart, Sears, Zellers, American Eagle Outfitters, JC Penny, Aldo Group and Dune (SSUK), among others.
Responsible for designing, selling and executing women’s footwear lines targeting private brands for Canada’s HBC, Wal-Mart, Sears and the Aldo group, as well as US retailer JC Penney and UK’s Shoe Studio group. Extensive travel to Asia and North America, working directly with factories and agents to produce over 1,000 samples each season, ensuring high quality and meeting all customer’s deadlines. Also traveled nationally and internationally to conduct market research to identify key trends and opportunities to optimize margin, quality, styling and price. Successfully negotiating prices with factories and set M.U. targets to maximize profits. Oversaw sales for clients that generated first cost sales of over US$ 12 million a year. Prepared fashion direction boards, presenting season’s key items, colours and prints directions. Interpreted seasonal trends and identified new categories to customize the product line to each different target customer.
Associate Buyer, Women’s Seasonal Footwear Slippers - Men's Footwear Buyer & Shoe Care, Hudson's Bay Company.
Toronto Jul 2007 - Mar 2006
Hudson’s Bay is Canada's oldest merchant it is one of the largest employers in the country with over 85 stores across the country
Managed more than C$30 million in annual sales as well as in store marketing and national advertising campaigns. Worked on competitive analysis, trends, and market share information to assist in building the business, being responsible for managing sales, profit and assortment turnover objectives through strategic development and assortment selection. Managed inventory by analyzing and acting on fast and slow sellers. Increased the Fall Winter Zeller’s Men's Footwear 2007 sales by 30% by updating the assortment with valid trends. Over achieved profit target and turnover objectives by setting up AR programs and following up with efficient assortment management. Established highly profitable Private Label programs for HBC with direct Asian factories, ensuring exclusivity and high margins. Controlled budget planning from weekly inventory sales reports to 5 year strategic plans. Nurtured strong partnership with the vendor community. Managed up to 6 employees in multiple capacities encompassing accounting, distribution, allocation, marketing and business administration.
Education
Fashion Trend Forecasting and Market Analysis, Panamericana School of Art & Design, Brazil. May 2011
Fashion Coordination and Styling Certificate, Ryerson University, Toronto. Jun 2010
Marketing Manager Certificate, Ryerson University, Toronto. Jun 2004
Bachelor in Industrial Design, major in Graphic Design & Communication Management, Lutheran University, Brazil. Oct 2001
Informatics – Proficient in Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop, MS Office including Excel, Power Point, and Adobe Acrobat
Language – Fluent in Portuguese and working knowledge of Spanish.
Awards – Nominated designer of the Year in 2001 in Brazil and awarded with two gold medals and a Grand Prix prize in the XXV South of Brazil Advertising Contest. Won the contest for revitalizing the Porto Alegre City Botanical Garden logo in 1997.
Other interests – Interested in home décor, interior design, music, travel and photography. Worked as a volunteer for the Grenadier Senior house. Writes and administer a Trend Forecasting blog at www.trendsearch.blogspot.com
References upon request