Kai Olson

Senior Designer · Spyder Active Sports

Boulder, CO

In My Own Words

Passionate apparel designer with 7 years of experience working on technical outdoor and outdoor lifestyle apparel. I enjoy working as a team member to identify and deliver creative solutions for improving user experience with products that build an innovative and exciting brand image. My online Portfolio is available at kaiolson.com

Work Experience

Senior Designer

Spyder Active Sports

2021 – 2023

• Led design for mens and boys Fall 23, Spring 24, and Fall 24 collections • Responsible for trend forecasting and creation of design direction and seasonal themes • Created product and innovation stories for advanced concepts in the snow collection • Partnered with company leadership in the building of seasonal color stories • Ran pre-line meetings with key retailers across Europe and North America • Led product team in new material identification and sourcing for Spring 24 and Fall 24 collections • Worked with sponsored athletes on the creation of signature collections • Designed pieces for collaborations with Supreme, Reebok, and the US Ski Team

Product Engineer-Outerwear Design and Development

KJUS North America

2020 – 2021

• Responsible for design and development of mens, womens, and youth outerwear and accessories • Led trend research and theme building for 2022 Winter and 2023 spring collections • Ran fittings and handled development for new designs and over 200 carryover styles • Managed junior designers and instruct them on how to build effective tech packs • Trained new hires on Centric PLM software • Built design schedules for outerwear while coordinating with vendors and sales to meet key dates • Developed new construction techniques and fitting strategies for golf apparel • Piloted the design/development of products/features that improve user experience & performance in backcountry conditions

Innovation Designer and Developer

686

2017 – 2020

• Designed initial concepts and generation of initial product artwork renders • Constructed detailed tech packs • Generated trend, color, and market analysis reports • Communicated with factory during all stages of development • Created sizing charts and construction diagrams for new concepts • Constructed sewn and 3D printed prototypes • Co-designed the first generation Hydrastash jacket and sole designer for expanded range of hydrastash products which won 8 best in show awards at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show • Designed and developed products for 686’s first ever spring and everyday carry collections