About Me

Work Experience Summary: Freelance Designer – sportswear design/ sample development/ sourcing/ manufacturing support/ production management

I have been working successfully on a freelance basis since May 2010, doing design projects for various clients ranging from flyer design over clothing design to designing full new web presences and developing brand identities for new start up businesses.

My clients include a new triathlon clothing brand, a mtb cycling wear brand, a catering start up, a Yorkshire MMA clothing brand, a martial arts gym, an up and coming UK cycling brand and a made to measure clothing design company, as well a new health food brand- www.stevia-shop.co.uk.

During my time at Altura I have proven to be a highly productive Product Designer for a well known UK cycling clothing brand and I have taken a leading role in moving the brand forward through advancing the branding and application of this with my eye for detail and natural creative design ability.

My creative problem solving ability, background of clothing pattern construction and sewing skills have lead to great products without compromise in construction or function for the seasons I have been involved in products that are highly rated by both the sales team and customers alike. Most recently the Apex shorts I designed and developed for Altura have had top marks in Mountain Biking UK (Issue 253, Aug 2010) and in MBR (summer issue 27/07/2010).
Another review from October 2010:
“Altura Apex Shorts BEST SHORTS WMB – Worthy award winners, we reckon.
Altura has always made good value baggy shorts, but its expanded 2010 line offers some proper performance pieces as well. The Apex’s stretchy fabric comes in a well-engineered multi-panel fit, and copes really well with pedalling and position shifts.
They’re tough enough to survive a few gravel slide outs unscathed, but still feel light on the bike and dry quickly too. Worthy award winners, we reckon.”

Other women’s specific items I designed are currently featured in ZEST magazine April issue, page 102 (synergy gloves and short and top in feature photograph).

I am particularly passionate about Sportswear design as I feel, because I am also a freelance group fitness instructor teaching a wide variety of classes every week, I understand exactly what fitness clothing should be all about.

Good organisation and discipline enable me to keep up effective time management and deadlines are met comfortably at all times due to my prioritisation skills.

I am extremely driven, dedicated, very flexible and can adapt to any market.
In addition, my can-do approach and enthusiastic attitude ensures I constantly develop and improve, meeting every challenge with a fun frame of mind.

 

Areas Covered:

Yorkshire, remotely world wide

 

Contact details:

email: marie@mpower-design.co.uk

phone: +44 (0)1977730055
 

 

 

Curriculum Vitae

Clients:

May 2010 – present

• Luxury gym-wear star-up brand
• The Ring – Garment Tech support
• Team- and sportswear mfrs and suppliers (Australia, Ireland, China)
• Custom Gym wear for PTs
• UK Urban cycling clothing brands
• Veleco, Ethical Cycling clothing brands – design and garment tech support gloves and apparel
• Speed skating suits- sublimation designs (New Zeeland)
• Triathlon Performance Apparel – high performance cycling and triathlon clothing (UK)
• A range of private clients via PPH (www.peopleperhour.com, logos, t-shirt prints, sewing, bag prototyping)
• Quantum Lingerie – Nightwear designer for M&S and Boux Avenue (new brand of Theo Paphitis)
• Caged Steel – MMA fight-wear clothing design, logo design, web design (not live yet), various marketing material
• SPEG – Cycling wear brand, clothing design project
• Sew-You – logo & web design (my design no longer online, customer decided to do their own), marketing, start up support
• Flacks Fitness – designing new club merchandise T-shirts and Hoodies, designed marketing poster to promote classes
• Stevia-shop.co.uk – brand identity/ web site/ packaging

 

Product Designer for ALTURA

August 2008 – May 2010 ZYRO LTD [distributor to the cycling industry], Thirsk

• Design and development of ALTURA Technical Bikewear products
• Men’s/ Women’s and Kids clothing & accessories
• Concept development for Road biking, MTB, leisure and commuter range
• Meeting the needs of the end user, while taking into consideration construction, colour, materials, aesthetics, price and brand objectives
• Create highly detailed specs & production packs including size charts for garments, trims and graphics reducing initial development time of prototypes
• Detailed instruction on unique product features guiding supplier to solve production issues
• Full concept development and design for new in house high end urban bag brand
• Shop reports and competitor market analysis
• Trim: concept, design and development, Branding: development, concept, names and logos
• Adhering to brand guideline with an eye to detail
• Daily contact with factories, keeping a close eye on hitting key dates in the development calendar
• Conduct fit sessions assessing fit and aesthetic appearance
• Coordinate user trails to test function and fit
• Liaising & negotiating with factory on pricing, development of designs till production stage
• Approving all garment construction, fit and quality and production strike-offs
• one of my shorts design got top marks in two magazine product reviews in July 2010 (articles on request)

 

Production Manager

August 2007 – Aug.2008 Lambton Tailoring LTD [sister company of Com Plan Technology], Leeds

• Day to day communication with factories
• Liaising with factory on prices
• Work under own initiative
• Capable of working under extreme pressure
• Booking manufacturing capacity
• Planning production schedules
• Manage critical path
• Managing sample and bulk production
• Arrange shipping of bulk
• Ensure that all components are at the factory for CMT production runs
• Visiting various factories around Europe to ensure production runs on time
• Quality checks at factory as well as on all samples
• Liaising with customer on product/ production progress
• Retain records for billing/ reconciliation and signing off invoices
• Sourcing/ buying of trim and cloth
• Additionally, I continued Garment Technologist duties
• Assign work i.e. Pattern cutting, spec writing etc.

 

Garment Technologist

May 2007 – Aug. 2007 Com Plan Technology, Leeds

• Working on mainly traditional tailored products [men’s and women’s]
• Writing specification documents
• Measuring, checking quality and creating fit logs
• Liaising with customers, factories and sales team
• Creating costing markers using Assyst
• Calculating cloth usage
• Ordering of fabric and trimmings
• Progressive problem solving
• Managing critical path
• Graded size charts

 

Design Room Assistant / Junior Pattern Cutter

Sept. 2006 – Feb. 2007 Bluenile London, London

• Producing and amending patterns for prototypes and production
• Liaising with designers and sample machinists
• Working on both jerseys and woven
• Customers include: TopShop, River Island, ASOS,
• Jane Norman and Sisters Point
• Assisting the Garment Technologist
• Measuring samples
• Checking fit and quality
• Coordinating sample production, following and updating critical path
• Producing specifications

 

Education Summary:

2003 – 2006 Leeds College of Art & Design, Leeds [BA Hons. Fashion/ Clothing] – 1st class

Modules studied during BA course include:
Creative / Flat Pattern Cutting, CAD, Millinery, Menswear, Jewellery, Sportswear, Grading [manual and using Gerber System], Innovative Production, Critical Studies, Business Studies

2002 – 2003 Leeds College of Art & Design, Leeds

• College Diploma in Design, with English tuition and IELTS certificate
• NOCN Clothing Technology, Level ONE -production methods and flat pattern cutting