Jenny Smith

NKP is a supplier of Children’s-wear to several well-known European high street retailers and provide a full design service, generating trends, full ranges, sampling and production.

June 2014- May 2015: Designed Younger and Older Girls Outerwear and Knitwear for BHS.

August 2013- June 2014- Full Younger Girls and Older Girls ranges for Dunnes Stores.

Responsibilities Include:

1. Driving seasonal trends for the customer through internet research, comp shopping trips and trade show visits. Compiling trend boards, colour palettes and initial silhouettes along with bought samples to present to customer.
2. Fabric sourcing, designing ranges, prints and graphics in line with the customer’s brief, ensuring that product is achievable both in terms of cost and production. Working alongside Account Manager to ensure samples are developed within sensitive price targets and ensuring critical path is followed.
3. Liaising with in-house pattern cutter and sample machinist regarding the production of woven/ jersey buying samples. Offering solutions to any issues between account manager, technical and design department throughout the sampling process.
4. Liaising with factories regarding the development of Outerwear and Knitwear initial buying samples.
5. Chasing samples in and working with the factory to ensure the customer’s brief is achievable.
6. Regular contact with customers in order to keep them abreast of the design process and buying sample progress.
7. Completing costing packs and working with garment technologist to produce size chart. Handover of cost pack and buying sample to production team once orders are booked.

Matalan is a leading UK retailer of fashionable clothing for all age ranges with annual sales of £1.12bn

Ladieswear Designer (Soon brand)

Full design autonomy for Soon brand. Design tailored and soft wovens as well as knit and jerseywear for the 40 plus woman. Responsible for rebranding in-house label Soon and worked with Jeff Banks to relaunch.

Soon was aimed at the sophisticated, effortlessly stylish woman. The range will include pieces primarily for the 40 plus woman, who want modern, timeless pieces, inspired by current trends including beautiful, premium quality fabrics and timeless but directional pieces. Easy, ageless, transitional pieces for modern living.

Responsibilities included:

1. Extensive market research conducted with focus groups to establish what the customer wants. Established the new look and customer profile of this brand based on this research.
2. Conducted catwalk research and with findings, built directional and commercial trends that were suitable for this customer.
3. Once trends were established, attended comp shopping trips with Jeff Banks to look at fit and styling. Relooked at fits with QA based on blocks Jeff Banks helped to establish.
4. Designed long lead time garments (knitwear, tailoring) and briefed to Far East suppliers, and then visited Turkey suppliers to put the fast fashion portion of the range into work. Responsible for selecting styles, fabrics and colours. Once samples arrive back in the UK, amendments were made and styles booked. Regular contact with suppliers during the sampling process.
5. Range approved by Jeff Banks, Directors and John Hargreaves. Conducted presentations to top level colleagues.
6. Constantly keeping abreast of competitors ranges to ensure we are landing the same trends, at the same time.
9. Regular reviewing of the range to ensure it is as up to date as possible. Continuously replacing styles with newness when necessary.

Full design autonomy for Hooch and Candy Couture brands.

Turnover for Autumn Winter 2012 was £7.7 million which was +10% up on the year. The Autumn Winter 2013 plan is to take £9.6 million which will be +10% on Autumn Winter 2012.

From AW11 to AW13 the department has grown by +27%.

Turnover for Spring Summer 2012 was £8.3 million which was +20% up on Spring Summer 2011.
The plan for Spring Summer 2013 is £9.3 million which will be +11% up on Spring Summer 2012.

From SS11 to SS13 the department has grown dept. by + 24%

Responsibilities Included:

1. Conduct market research on the street and in store to define and profile Hooch and Candy Couture customer.
2. Drive the look of each brand: Construct trend boards through research, present seasonal catwalk trends to senior management and conduct sample shopping trips, then present results to buying and management team ensuring proposed range is directional yet commercial.
3. After looks are established, and initial designs are signed off, research 'open to buy' options to continue to move ranges forward and communicate closely with buyers and suppliers to ensure all trends for the season are covered.
4. Keep abreast of competitor's ranges to ensure our offer is competitive.
5. Send detailed design packs to suppliers and liaise with buying, factories and Q.A. to ensure initial samples are correct.
6. Conduct regular store visits in order to identify new visual merchandising methods and evaluate how range is looking in store.
7. Utilise ‘best and worst’ management information to ensure range is tailored to customer whilst maintaining the commercial balance.
8. Continuously produce commercial designs for boys and girl’s nightwear, researching colour, shape and graphics and ensuring our offer is competitive.

Americana International is a large fashion organisation that own a multinational brand portfolio with a net annual sales of £109.3m

Designer for Girls and Boys ranges for Bench and Hooch ages 2-16 years.

Responsibilities Included:


1. Trend spotting, working to tight deadlines, creating and amending specs and fitting proto samples.
2. Worked on fabric selection and involved in first and second fit meetings and providing comments to factories
3. Conducted research and international comp shopping.
4. Three stories conceptualised per season with decisions made and designs created on components, colours and silhouettes.
5. Worked alongside technologist to ensure safety aspects were consistently adhered to.
6. Responsible for producing the sales book every season and conducting sales presentations.
7. Worked closely with marketing department to prepare for international exhibitions.

Achievements

1. Generated consistent sales for the company by creating bestselling kids’ styles.
2. Developed and expanded the children’s ranges year on year, growing from a small collection of only 35 pieces to around 60 pieces per range.
3. Cultivated a strong sense of commercial awareness, as well as the necessary insight into how the high street and branded fashion business operates.

Visionstyle is a national supplier of accessories to high street and retail organisations.

Responsibilities Included:

1.Designed accessories for children, including; hats, scarves, gloves, belts, fancy dress as well as product ranges (plush toys, mugs, key rings, towels, bedroom sets) for large commercial corporations including; John Lewis, George, Woolworths and Mamas and Papas.
2. Designed adult accessories such as sports caps, towels and bags for the leisure wear department.
3. Conceptualised trend information for shape, print and embellishment from research and shopping
4. Accompanied account managers to meetings with customers to establish their individual needs, and to ensure a bespoke design service was provided
5. Worked to tight deadlines and liaised with factories in the Far East to ensure the samples were made correctly for production.