I moved from South Africa in 1998 to live in NYC, having spent 3 years working in the Advertising and Marketing division of a Portuguese Merchant Bank after graduating with a university degree in Economics.
My initiation into the Fashion Industry began at Donna Karan, supporting the wholesale team for DKNY men’s where I interacted with the buyers and fashion directors of Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Holt Renfrew.
After a year, I moved into PR for visionary Marion Greenberg whose diverse clientele allowed me to experience not only the shows abroad for Jil Sander and Givenchy but also the art world through the Robert Miller gallery.
My exposure in Milan propelled me to Ralph Lauren where I oversaw all of men’s PR including the company’s first international runway show ever in Milan. I managed a budget of $1m per show reporting directly to the CEO.
Not having a formal design background did not deter me from pursuing a more creative path in accessories beginning a long mentorship under John Calcagno – creator of the men’s Purple Label line of accessories and the Ricky bag.
I began guiding and directing designs for the licensees of belts, small leather-goods, scarves and gloves. The belt business grew by 30%. Shortly thereafter, the company brought many of these businesses in house. This decision allowed me the creative freedom and the ability to diversify and expand the product range including the opportunity to expand the men’s jewelry offerings
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Nurturing an accessories business from its inception meant creating an identity and iconographic template that would filter throughout the company and set a blue print for all future products. As the business expanded so did my involvement in creating seasonal concepts to help drive the direction for accessories.
Through extensive travel to factories, artisans and suppliers I’ve gained an intimate knowledge of the creative process. My approach to design begins with meticulous research through visuals, objects and materials including hardware, animations and leather treatments.
This research results in the creation and installation of 3D presentations which dictate the products and the visual language for each season.
A trusted and reliable network of local and global resources fostered over the years ensures the exact execution of samples and therefore a unique product built with quality and integrity.
To further romance the story of the product and elevate its desirability at the store level, I created packaging for accessories and home dry goods.
Today my skills and creative talent are best utilized designing accessories for clients like Nili Lotan or creating floor installations at 180 the store.
On a personal level; I'm exploring the craft of baking having started an apprenticeship 3 years ago at a French bakery in NY.