Nicole Dawson

Managed all “Special Design” requests and collaborations from initial design concept through to production for the following high end retailers: Neiman Marcus, Barneys of NY, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Ave, Bloomingdales, Macys, Planet Funk, Scoop & Intermix. Managed 7 For All Mankind Collaborations with Emilio Pucci, Zac Posen, COOP Barneys NY, Azzedine Alaia, Theory, The Great China Wall and Jonathan Adler. For all departments: Womens/Mens/Kids denim and Womens/Mens Sportswear.

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT & SOURCING: Created inspirational mood boards, colour palettes/stories for each new season in collaboration with head designer. Along with, researched upcoming trends from runway shows, magazines, rare vintage samples & art. Interacted daily with both merchandising & sales teams to ensure a full product assortment is met for each delivery. Create hand & computerised flat sketches for each line development along with colour CADS in Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop. Highly proficient in MS word, Windows, Excel & strong communication skills daily with both overseas & domestic vendors. Managed 1st submits of lab dip submits, hand looms, knit downs, wash standards, fabric & all print strike offs for approval for 1st prototypes, salesman samples & final production. Sourced, selected & developed fabrics, prints, trims & washes for each new delivery. Worked closely with graphic design team to pitch colours for print ideas on various fabrications for initial strike offs. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & TECHNICAL: Able to facilitate the every aspect of transition from design concept and first prototypes to final production ready garments. Collaborative with design, merchandising, sales, and production teams to ensure fit, & quality are achieved & delivered within brand standards. Assist in all fit sessions & resolve any fit or construction issues in pre-production and production. Translate design concepts into detailed tech packages with design features, construction details & garment construction. Strong communication skills with both domestic & overseas technical/production team on a daily basis. Prioritised & managed pattern flow from 1st pattern makers to cutters, sewers & laundries.

Worked with planning department in accordance with projections to make raw material purchases for both sample & bulk production. Negotiated prices with vendors on fabrics. Followed up with vendors on status of current orders to ensure on time deliveries for all internal or overseas cut dates. Followed up with freight forwarders to manage in transit shipments & worked closely with logistics team to resolve any issues. Checked fabric qualifications against fabric specifications. Resolve any fabric issues on a daily basis. Follow up on all TOP rolls & test submits to ensure on time delivery. Review all lab dip, print strike offs & trim submits for approval from design.

Worked closely with design team on all fabric developments per customer needs. Cross developed alternative fabrics/sources that met quality & cost requirements. Created & maintained cost sheets for all fabrics for cut & sew knits. Participated in regular visits to fabric mills & dye houses to ensure quality met customers developmental needs. Assisted in fabric testing & dyeing along with maintaining a fabric library.