Erik Nelson

Creative Director

2013 – Present

Creative Director, Sales Director and Owner of mens designer apparel and swimwear brand. Managing team members in all disciplines. Managing creative direction, design team, production team, web development team, and sales team, while overseeing international and domestic sourcing for domestic production and order fulfillment as well as initiating and managing all wholesale sales accounts.

Sales Agent

2018 – Present

Responsible for generating face-to-face conversations with prospective customers to promote and sell products and services in various settings. The primary goal is to acquire new customers and enroll them.

Sales Associate

2017 – 2018

Menswear sales associate working with the Owner and Manager learning procedural and operational duties from the retail perspective with the goal of a Wholesale Sales position. Focusing on buying, tracking, order processing, inventory management, sales goals, daily operations, brand management, customer relations, and vendor relations including trade shows, markets, and sales meetings.

Consultant

2016 – 2018

Consulting as branding and design / development strategist working directly with the owner to define concepts for innovative lingerie product story. Responsible for directing the design team in creating and executing the developmental vision that fulfills merchandising strategies, business objectives and customer expectations. Ensuring product aesthetic is consistent with brand image across the organization and aligned with target customers by delivering product that adheres to budget and organizational calendar.

Director, Design Development

2016 – 2016

Leading the New York Design team in execution for creating and guiding the design and developmental vision of multiple clients across multiple and diverse product categories. Hands on designing and creation of tech packages, line plans, while researching, reporting and presenting design packages with trend direction for successful product execution and production. Effective teamwork and communication with sales, marketing, and production executives, domestic and overseas vendors and factories, and key account managers for successful product development.

Head of Design

2012 – 2013

Senior Designer promoted to Head of Design working directly with the owner to define concepts for innovative outerwear product stories. Managing an Associate Designer to conceptualize, design and develop compelling, innovative, brand enhancing outerwear collections that fulfill merchandising strategies, business objectives and customer expectations. Ensuring product aesthetic is consistent with brand image across the organization and aligned with target customers by delivering product that adheres to organizational calendar.

Apparel Designer / Cad Designer

2010 – 2012

CAD Designer for men's Sportswear Outerwear, Wovens and Suit Separates reporting to the Senior Designer. Focusing on design and artwork from concept to preproduction in outerwear, wovens, and suit separates. Assisting with new and unique style design, presentation artwork, color pitching artwork, detail sketch artwork, color palette manipulation and composition and balance of style for presentation.

Freelance Designer

2007 – 2010

Freelance designer for Fila Men’s & Women’s Outerwear collection, Hanes Champion C9 Outdoor collection, Weatherproof, and others reporting directly to the respective Design Directors. Responsible for all aspects of design and merchandising of Men’s, Women's, Boys and Girls Outdoor collections from conception through to final handoff, including trend research, color flow, fabrication and all design and styling details.

Design Director / Owner

2007 – 2009

Design Director / Owner for startup men’s sportswear collection. Managing creative direction, design team and merchandising, while overseeing international and domestic sourcing and production for line development.

Mens Outerwear Designer

2007 – 2007

Men’s outerwear freelance designer for the new American Living brand, reporting to the Design Director and managing an assistant. Working in conjunction with concept design team, production team and merchandise team to initiate product design and new model development through to line adoption.

Designer

2005 – 2007

Men’s outerwear Associate Designer, reporting directly to the Design Director and the owner. Focusing on Op license and active groups, as well as all graphics and artwork for men’s and boy’s collections with collaboration with boys, children and women’s design.

Assistant Designer

2003 – 2004

Design Assistant reporting to the Men's Design Director, with a focus on design, production, detail sheets, sketching and follow through on multiple men's outerwear lines as well as assisting in women's.

Shipper & Reciever

2003 – 2003

Intern

1999 – 1999

Internship for high end runway collection in NYC.

Intern

1998 – 1998

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

1996 – 2001

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

N/A

1994 – 1996

N/A

Graduate Diploma

1990 – 1994

Graduate Diploma