I am an Innovative and Proven Team Leader with 20+ years' experience Managing, Inspiring & Mentoring creative teams. I excel at setting the Creative Direction and Seasonal Collections for Iconic Brands from initial concept to retail channels for US & Global Markets. My fresh Design Perspective is balanced with a keen understanding of Business, enabling me to consistently deliver on Current Trends & find White Space while staying true to a Brand's Heritage and reinventing its best sellers. I owe the many successes in my career to my ability in Motivating and Inspiring product design teams & cross-functional partners to support Big Ideas.

I am passionate about the future of Design & Sustainability as well as how brands can evolve to embrace Innovation, Transparency and Sustainable practices in a way that resonates with Today's Customer.

I enjoy Embroidering, Gardening, Building Legos, Resale Shopping & Selling, Blogging, Pinning, and Exploring the World. I am seeking Full Time or Consulting Opportunities to Collaborate and Create Something Amazing!

*   Critic Choice Award Specialization Children's Wear
*   Summa Cum Laude

Fashion Institute of Technology

St. Catherine University

*   Lead creative direction at Topsville, GWKids & The Golden Touch Group for their new licensed brands Wonderluxe, derek heart and Rachel Zoe.
*   Achieved 85% growth for Rachel Zoe from 50,000 to 350,000 units.
*   Direct trend, color, fabric, materials and key looks.
*   Manage and mentor design teams, establishing design processes.

DebbieJovelderekhearttrend&design-compressed.pdf

Creative Consultant

Launched the organic, sustainable brand easy-peasy.

*   Managed all aspects of design and brand development; including naming the brand, logo design and product assortment.
*   Developed seasonal creative direction, including color, fabric, print & pattern, silhouette & key trends.
*   Merchandised the product assortment while considering current trends, best sellers and business objectives.
*   Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure successful design execution.
*   Presented collections at key milestone-meetings to Walmart buying teams.
*   Directed seasonal marketing, look books and social media content for easy-peasy & Garanimals.
*   Managed budgets & calendar for design.
*   Traveled domestically and abroad for trends, attended trade shows & met with trend forecasters.
*   Led design teams to meet sustainable requirements and business objectives.

Work Portfolio - Collection of design work

DebbieJovelWorkPortfolioAccessoriesAll-compressed_1.pdf

Creative Director Easy-peasy & Director Garanimals

*   Wrote for an internationally recognized publication with a global circulation. Introduced trends in fashion, style, decor, design, books, DIY, toys & playthings to Babiekins' readers. 
*   Created personal blog where I share fashion collections of brands I love and trend round-ups.

Published Writer

*   Led all creative direction: trend, color, fabric, materials, print & pattern, silhouette & key looks for Footwear, Accessories & Jewelry.
*   Managed design teams and created original designs for women's, men's & children's shoes, women's & men's accessories and women's jewelry; Seasonal CC Count: Shoes 280, Accessories 600 & Jewelry 800.
*   Created design processes at C&A, including collaborating on creative strategies and assortment balance with CMO, Marketing, and cross functional partners.
*   Introduced key trends and collaborated on in-store and social media merchandising. Presented key trends to press and influencers at C&A press events.
*   Identified new product categories and implemented strategic plans.
*   Managed seasonal & trend speed calendars and department's budget.
*   Partnered with Design Leaders to ensure product differentiation & design integrity for the Yessica, CANDA, YSS and ClockHouse Brands.
*   Managed relationships with licensing partners and suppliers.
*   Attended Customer Focus Groups to understand buying habits of the C&A customer.
*   Traveled extensively in Europe, Asia & USA for trend research, development & sourcing.

Head of Product Design & Development

*   Managed and mentored design teams in all areas of design process for women's & men's shoes, women's & men's accessories, women's jewelry & supply goods; Seasonal CC Count: Shoes 180, Accessories 340 & Supply 200.
*   Identified trends and implemented a trend speed pipeline.
*   Partnered with visual merchandising and multichannel marketing counterparts to create an “Accessories Destination.”
*   Presented seasonal concepts & “Big Ideas” to ON Leadership.
*   Streamlined shoe molds and leveraged materials, improving design execution & saving $2.26 Million.
*   Increased ON shoe business +3% and beat plan by +9% ($2.679 Million) the First season I managed this department.
*   Achieved the highest growth for constructed shoes in the company's history by reinventing the flip-flop and the ballet shoe making a +147% comp.
*   Traveled USA, Europe & Asia for trend research, development & sourcing.

Senior Director of Product Design & Development Non-Apparel

*   Co-created and co-taught the “Design and Merchandising Interdependencies Course” for the GAP Retail Management Program.

Gap RMP Course Developer & Instructor

*   Partnered with the SVP of design to create compelling and commercial design stories for ON seasonally.
*   Led design team in all areas of the design process for women's knits, active wear, intimates, swimwear, fleece, sweaters & graphics.
*   Managed departments that were 16.8% of the total Brand Retail; Seasonal CC Count: Knits 190, Sweaters 120, Active 100, Intimates 60, Graphics 80 & Dresses 60.
*   Developed seasonal concepts & “Big Ideas” for ON Women's Department.
*   Introduced GOGA Active Line, achieving retail sales +36% above projection its first season. Achieved the highest growth for dresses in the company's history by growing the business to $123 Million.
*   Reinvented the FUNdamentals business by improving design execution, fit, color palette, fabrications & trend right silhouettes.
*   Participated & attended Customer Focus Groups to better understand the buying habits and needs of the ON customer

Senior Director of Women's Design & Development

*   Created seasonal collections for Toddler Girl, Newborn, Toddler Accessories and Footwear. Managed, trained and retained design teams when the ON Design Department moved from NYC to San Francisco Headquarters.
*   Led creative teams to develop seasonal on trend designs, maintaining brand integrity and meeting business needs.
*   Improved the ON Toddler Girl and Baby Department sales by +5 comp above projection (the brand ended the year at -6% comp), resulting in year-end sales of $260 Million.
*   Introduced the Value Assortment of denim & knits, as well as a Special Edition Fashion Collection.

Director of Product Design & Development

*   Senior Designer & Development for Big Girls, Infant & Toddler Girl & Boy and Layette Collections

Senior Designer

*   Assisted Nanette Lepore to create runway collection designs & wholesale designs

Designer Women's Runway

*   Associate Designer & Development for Big Boy's Collection

Associate Designer

*   Associate Designer & Development for Infant & Toddler Apparel & Accessories Collections

Debbie Jovel

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