Resumé

NATALIE STURMAN

Flat 3, 40 Grosvenor Road, St Albans, AL1 3AE
Mobile: +44(0)7984267507
natalie.sturman@googlemail.com

SUMMARY:

• Over 5 years of post-graduate experience within Womenswear design
• Background within a branded studio environment, as well as work experience gained at luxury level
• Able to work across woven and jersey
• Strong skills in textile print and embellishment

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

April 2011 - Present
Freelance Womenswear Designer
Intraport PLC
• Working on core SS2012 summer lines
• Supplying products to George/Moda, Laura Ashley and M&S

July 2010 - March 2011
Womenswear Designer
Kaliko, Alexon International
• Created modern products for Casual, smart day & occasionwear
• Always worked in accordance to the critical path
• Researched new trends, while keeping a key focus on the customer profile
• Researched and interpreted colour and print direction
• Research via shop visits, museums and fashion books, magazines and websites
• Worked as a key member of the team, keeping everyone up to date with how the product progressed
• Produced mood boards, keeping a key focus on trends, market and customer
• Designed & sourced new embellishments and prints
• Sketched new season design ideas for the selection process
• Produced spec drawings to high quality factory standards with clear annotations
• Developed specs by hand, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and MS Office
• Attended fit sessions
• Initiated trouser fit project, offering customer 5 basic trouser shapes
• Delegated to design assistants, and developed their design skills to increase the department’s creativity
• Prepared and pre-selected product for sign off meetings
• Produced approx 150-160 options per season
• Worked closely with buyers and merchandisers
• Extended a good data base of key fabric and garment suppliers

February 2006 – July 2010
Junior Designer - Multiproduct
Frank Usher Group PLC (Slimma), London
• Created commercial designs for the occasion / Formal wear market
• Interpreted trends and fabrics from international trade shows
• Researched colour and print direction
• Produced mood boards, keeping a key focus on trends, market and customer
• Trims buyer: negotiating price, minimums and working developments
• Sketched new season design ideas for the selection process
• Produced spec drawings to high quality factory standards with clear annotations
• Modified fit and made alterations of 1st prototypes to shop standards
• Developed specs hand drawn work, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
• Liaised with overseas factories on a daily basis


2005
Design Volunteer
Women in Progress, Cape Coast, Ghana
• Volunteered to assist Ghanaian women to achieve economic independence via the sustainable growth of their own fashion and textile business and alleviate grass-roots poverty. www.womeninprogress.org (Volunteer program)
• www.globalmamas.org (Shop)
• Instructed women on industrial design methods
• Pattern cutting and grading
• Created commercial designs for the fair trade market: 13 batik stamps, 10 garments
• Quality control inspection
• Conducted computer training: MS Office, Word, Excel and Photoshop
• Developed and ran workshops
• New Design Ideas Development
• Used non-verbal communication in high pressure situations

WORK EXPERIENCE:

2003
Louis de Gama, London
Design Assistant
• Pattern cutting, Machine sewing
• Sampling/sourcing
• Alterations
• Assisting with collection shown at London Fashion Week

2002
Betty Jackson, London
Design Assistant
• Quality control inspection
• Fabric sourcing
• Collection development

EDUCATION:
2000- 2004
BA (Hons)
London College of Fashion, University Of The Arts, London
Design Technology for Fashion, Womenswear & Surface Textiles

SKILLS:

• Intermediate French
• Intermediate Slovak,
• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• PowerPoint
• Driving License: Full

References available upon request

Projects by Natalie Sturman

AW11-Days of heaven
5 Files

Girlswear design
11 Files

LINEN SHOP
6 Files

SS2011 KALIKO MARRAKESH
4 Files

FRANK USHER
9 Files

FORMAL AW11 BRIDGET KALIKO
4 Files

AW12 eveningwear
1 File

SS12 - HIGH PARADISE CITY
5 Files

Girlswear AW12 Nature trail
4 Files