Lydia Howard

As founder of FDI my skills and services have broadened to cater for all who want to develop footwear.
Services include:
▪️ Trend and Market research
▪️ Freelance Design
▪️ Specification sheets
▪️ Mentorship
▪️ Sample amendments
▪️ Sourcing
▪️ Sampling making and Production
Using my 20 years experience I work one on one with clients who need support with their development.

Stradivarius is a women's wear clothing brand with a young fashion conscious customer. Company consists of over 500 stores with a successful online presence. * Line development from components through to leather finishing. * Range building. * Design development lasts heels uppers and material selection * Factory development

Women's designer on footwear and accessories collections.

Designer for Girls and Boys footwear and accessories. Next

Managing design and creation of up coming season collection with team.
Working along side clothing and footwear teams to deliver on commercial yet innovative product suitable for Massimo Dutti handwriting.
Design was an integral part of creation, sourcing and development from research through to sample and production qualities. During my time in the team we saw sales increase 30% YOY with additional demand and references for the business.

As design responsible I was to ensure a repetition and increase of last years sales while focusing on key trend, client's needs and volume restrictions.
▪️ Trend
▪️ Key items
▪️ Fashion focused details
We worked hand in hand with clothing to ensure colour, print and styling alliance.
All collections are made alongside world wide suppliers in
▪️ Spain
▪️ Portugal
▪️ China
▪️India

I maintain that the collection runs smoothly while visiting factories, searching trims, leathers, outsoles available for price and production quality.

Junior team members are supported in my team for technical and personal development.
▪️ Range planning and delivery
▪️ Inspiration travel, search and presentation
▪️ Full design Specs and packs for each factory and country
▪️ Material selection and sourcing
▪️ Supplier strategies pricing and quality
▪️ Sales and store feedback reaction
▪️ Guidance and support for junior designers
▪️ Catwalk analysis
▪️ Final presentation of the collection to all external teams

Achievements: I have increased sales up to 40% based on 2015 sales, our footwear sales contribute to 20% of all kids wear with an increase of 6% on last season's sales online. Our online presence and success has lead the team to develop a small capsule collection adding colour, variety and newness to the more classic customer. By focusing on essential, high quality items with diverse purposes we have captured new customers as well as maintaining the Massimo Dutti trademark.