Christa Baker

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Owned seasonal projects with a focus on Women’s knits, wovens, athleisure, sweatshirts, and sweater categories. • Partnered with Design and executive leadership teams to build and develop a seasonal collection that best reflects brand language, market needs, achieved company direction and hit calendar deadlines. • Prepared sketches and tech specifications for review with cross functional Teams. • Utilized thorough understanding of garment construction to achieve desired design intent and fit direction. • Successful execution of sketch updates, garment fit revisions, and organization of complete product adjustment details for seamless transfer to production manager during the sketch review and sampling stage. • Managed uploading images to Bluescape and maintaining virtual sketch boards. • Specialized in data systems (Flex PLM and Citrix) and processes. • Utilized strong sketching abilities in Illustrator/Photoshop to ensure a cohesive line, technical accuracy, as well as brand aesthetic and style.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Responsible for original designs of woven/knit tops, bottoms, and outerwear that meet brief and margin requirements. • Team with cross category partners to ensure a cohesive line and distinctive brand language. • Continual research of seasonal trends in activity, silhouette, color, print, fabric and trims. • Responsible for creation and management of accurate and detailed tech packs for knit and woven tops and bottoms and outerwear. • Partner with technical fit team to determine and maintain fit direction for all new designs, ensuring they are market and trend relevant while still fully functional for performance. • Attend fittings and actively participate with tech design team to ensure product execution matches design intent and quality standards. • Manage selection of fabrics for outerwear and wovens in partnership with materials team. • Design seasonal trims and provide detailed tech packs to trim developer for their production. • Collaborate with and provide creative direction to art team when there are trim art or graphics needs. Review trim submits for accuracy. • Collaborate with creative team members on building seasonal color pallets. • Create original textile designs, graphics and original print-ready artwork. Provide direction to print and textile suppliers as needed. • Choose layouts and create pitches and color ways for all yarn-dye patterns. • Collaborated with Lead Merchant to coordinate seasonal color palettes, print artwork, fabric silhouettes, outfit coordination and presentation boards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Design and develop luxury men’s apparel, textiles and accessories. This includes heritage menswear, neckwear, hosiery, men’s jewelry, small leather goods, and various furnishings. • Technical understanding of textile coloration and weaving techniques/limitations, including fibers, yarns, dyeing, finishing, and coating. • Apprenticed with technicians and colorists at top weaving/printing mills in Italy and the UK to master art of various types of traditional yarn dye weaving and printing techniques. • Able to create the original graphic artwork in correct print-ready format. • Utilize colorist skills to create various fabrications to achieve maximum color saturation that coordinates with seasonal color pallets. • Prepare and present seasonal inspiration and collections to sales teams and key customers such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and celebrity clientele. • Collaborate with textile mills and suppliers to create new products for global and regional markets. • Serve as overseas production manager and liaison for negotiating pricing.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Designed and developed headwear and various accessories lines for production. • Expertly managed workloads, seasonal calendar, and budget while meeting strict deadlines. • Upheld quality standards by giving concise project direction to the production team. • Utilized construction, fit evaluation, sewing, pattern making, and CAD skills in design development. • Responsible for launching and managing customizable accessories collection and shop. Achievements: • Designed and produced accessories lines while successfully launching and managing company’s first custom accessories shop. • Created first the collection of hand-made accessories featured by the company. • Consistently exceeded projected revenues for product lines within the first month of debut.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Successfully manage daily account growth, clientele correspondence and productivity. • Successfully exceeded seasonal and annual sales projections. Achievements: • Exceeded sales goals in a declining market by utilizing creative skills and innovative marketing techniques. • Ranked first in the region for overall sales and 20% revenue increase.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Managed the development process of diverse product lines competitive to current market trends. • Created fresh and innovative design concepts and color/fabric direction for seasonal collections. • Conducted extensive trend research, line direction, and textile/print development. • Traveled overseas to manage line production, conduct project presentations and prepare showrooms for market week. • Coordinated interaction between buyers, overseas production teams, sales teams and merchandising departments. • Received recognition for excellent team leadership and communication skills. Achievements: • Account Executive for Walmart - Led domestic/overseas teams to design and produce product lines. • Created a soft goods line that was featured under Vera Wang label for Kohls. • Designed soft goods product lines for a successful show for NYC Market Week for SS’08.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Designed and developed activewear apparel lines for production. • Responsible for collaborating with brand licensing clients to create vision, illustrate designs, and manage garment production while consistently meeting rigorous deadlines. • Acquired extensive knowledge in production parameters, both domestic and import. • Successfully developed original designs from concept to finished product including conducting fittings, sourcing materials, and creating technical design specs and BOMs for each garment. Achievements: • Commissioned to develop personal lines for various celebrity accounts such as will.i.am. from the Black Eyed Peas for i.am.clothing, Gwen Stefani for Harajuku Lovers, and Josie Natori for Natori. • Designed and developed a successful activewear line picked up by Target as one of the highest unit/volume orders for Jerry Leigh Entertainment Apparel.