Efficient Trouble-shooter

POOJA SARAFAddress : 78, 2nd main, 1st cross, Defence Colony,

PROFILE Fashion Professional and a Creative enthusiast: Westernwear Apparel Design & Creative Fashion marketing

- Product design & development - Fashion : Woven & Knit - Trend Forecasting & Design Thinking for Fashion retail - - Western Womenswear Category management -

Fashion marketing: Branding & Product ideation, Creative content management

• Professional highlights

• Specialising in

-Designing to deliver a business contribution of 52% to the Womenswear Category

- Restructuring and positioning of Range architecture according to Brand ImageFit Ideation and Product creative direction, resulting in increase of contribution to business by 3%

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Trend analysis & spotting through Online Trend research, International & domestic market visits

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Fashion Creatives for Brand’s Fashion properties like: Femina Miss India, Model look etcBrand comminucation Creatives for Seasonal Brands Campaigns & Launches

Fashion styling for Womenswear, Menswear & Kidswear during Photo shoots: Domestic & International

• Key strengths - ‘Go-getter’ from start- Detail Oriented- Excel in Cross-functional management

- Ambitious & self-motivated

Career Goal : Build & establish Brands by uniting Fashion, Commercially oriented retail and Communication to provide a Unique customer experience

- - Responsible & Reliable - Upbeat and easily- approachable- Proficient in Communication skills

EDUCATION Graduate Diploma in Fashion Design (2001-2004) National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai, India

Diploma in Jewellery Designing (2006) European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), Mumbai, India

Email: pujasrf@gmail.com Phone:LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/pooja-saraf-28388612

+91 9686194386 Indiranagar, Bangalore, India.

Retail market study & analysis

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior Manager – Design, Western Womenswear – Max Retail, Bangalore (Aug 2010 - Sept 2014) • Responsible for the design & performance for the following Categories, Accounting to 52% of total

Western Womenswear Business: - Core: Every day Casuals

– Woven tops & dresses, Knit tops & dresses, Sweaters, Bottoms & jackets. Corporate - Woven tops & dresses, Knit tops & dresses, Sweaters, Bottoms & jackets.

Dressy

- Woven tops & dresses, Knit tops & dresses, Sweaters, Bottoms & jackets. Chest print Tees

- Essentials: Basic knit tees, Sweaters & Casual day bottoms. – Knitted graphic printed T-shirts

Managing a team of Executive & Sr.Executive designers for Product design/development of Role Description:

collections based on buying plan, Fashion trend analysis & seasonal performance. Fashion Trend spotting through International market study, Trade fairs & completion analysis. Product Ideation and range planning Creative direction for Visual merchandising relating to product categories handled

Head Design – Arrow Woman, Arvind Heritage Brands Division (Oct 2014 - till date) • Creative direction & strategy for design and product development, across all channels of distribution:

- Exclusive Brand Outlets, Key Accounts(LFO), Online and Multi-Brand outlet Formal - Woven & Knit: Shirt, trouser, skirt and blazer

- Wovevn & Knit: Shirt, top, dress, trouser, skirt, sweater and jacket- Woven & Knit: Top, dress, trouser, skirt, sweater and jacket

Fashion Formal Fashion

Managing a team of Executive & Sr.Executive designers for Product design and development of Role Description:

collections based on Brand Image, Sales & distribution planbuying plan, Fash, Fashion trend analysis and seasonal performance.

Role Description:

Fashion Trend spotting through International market study, Trade fairs & completion analysis.Product Ideation and range planning

Planning and defining themes for seasonal brand communication strategy for ATLConsistently build Brand imagery through Ensembling & stylingIdeation of Key looks for ATL & BTL activitiesVisual Merchandise plannogram co-ordination with support function for sales impact and product communication

• Creative direction for Visual merchandising and Marketing for all Channels

Role Description:

Ensure achievement of set COGS for each product category & sub categoryAchieve average depth as outlined for respective product categories during trade shows

In-season promotion concepts & brand enhancement strategies based on sales analysisOTB planning with Retail team keeping Brand strategy, sales and Trend direction in mindIdentify and develop new strategies to increase market share and category’s contribution to business

Opportunity and product Gap analysis in season and product implementation basis same - Flash range/ correction in buy/ extrapolation

• Key role in strengthening the womenswear category to take it to the next level in terms of design, quality and sales

• Assisted in Fashion Styling - costume design for a Hollywood Movie “First Fear”.

• Projects with Kanak Designs, Jewellery house in Mumbai.

Senior Designer at the Design Studio - R K Textiles, Chennai (May 2004 – Sept 2006) • Designed Garments and Textiles – Mens’ and Womens’ for buyers like Polo Ralph Lauren - USA,

Levis Strauss & Co. – EUROPE & MEXICO, Dockers - USA, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, and Pepe Jeans London.

• Designed and executed prints at the Printing Lab and Knit & Woven CADs for Textile development @ Design Studio.

• Creative Lead for Brand Max : ATL & BTL activities like: - Seasonal Campaign shoot: Campaign & VM shoot - Product shoot: Magazine & In-store communication - Digital communication: Product and look shoot for Digital platform - Fashion Events/Properties: Pond’s Femina Miss India (All India), Max-Cosmo Fashion Icon (All India), Miss Tilottma & Miss North-East Diva(East), Miss Bangalore(South)

Creative direction for Campaigns based International Campaign trend analysis

Role Description:

Fashion & product styling at shoots & Fashion events Ideation of Key looks for ATL & BTL activities Design & management of Exclusive Fashion collections for various Fashion events/properties Management & co-ordination on location during Fashion shoots & events

Consultant – Design & Retail, The Design Diary, Chennai (Mar 2009 – July 2010)

• Design consultancy for companies like Brasstacks, RK Knits and Eshakti.com, Chennai on Design/Product range planning/buying, Store wise allocation plan of merchandise and Seasonal Trend Research – Womens and Menswear / Lifestyle Design – USA,UK market.

• Product Designer/Developer & supplier to Brasstacks for Knit tops – Urban Chic, Semi

formal/Casual & denim – Knit & wovens.

• Public Relations Consultant for the Exodus, Chennai. Instrumental in organization of creative initiatives in the field of music and culture.

Manager – Design, Indian Terrain Womenswear, Chennai (April 2007 – Feb 2009)

• Design manager for categories – Woven tops & dresses, Knits, Bottoms & jackets. Co-ordinating and managing a team of designers on Design process, Range planning, Visual Merchandising.

• Designer - independent category – Woven tops & dresses – Urban casual and Semi formal for Work

and Non work wear.

• Instrumental in launching Indian Terrain Womenswear - Key roles include Market analysis & research, fit ideation and design management to create a unique Identity/Image for the Brand.

Freelancer (Feb 2007 – Mar 2007) • Projects with companies like Visma International, Chennai and R.K.Knits, Tirupur.

• Design consultant for the project “Empowerment of Women “at the Rosemary Convent, Chennai.

• Interacted and made presentations to buyers and buying houses.

• Handled Responsibilities of coordinating the Design Process with a team of Designers & product developers and Costing of products designed, once selected.

• Assisted in Administration and Management of Design Studio & Print lab.

Internship at Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, Mumbai, India. (May 2003 –June 2003) • Worked in the Design Department, among Professional designers and Category managers.

• Designed a Collection for Pantaloons Teen brand OYE

• Conducted a market research, product analysis study, coordinated with Category managers,

designers as a part of the Design Process. TECHNICAL SKILLS Softwares known

- Color Matters for designing textiles – knit and woven - TexCAD for designing textiles - woven - Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw for designing and graphics, - Fashion Studio for designing textiles – prints, knits and wovens, - Lectra System for CAD, MS word, Excel, Power-point, LOTUS 1-2-3 for documentation and

accounting.

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE • Ms. Anu Shyamsundar,

Ex Head – Indian Terrain Womenswear, • Mr. Anurag Asthana,

Ex Regional Manager for Tops – South Asia, Levis Strauss India Limited, Bangalore.

• Ms. Jyoti Manral, Ex Head Designer, P.S.Apparels, Chennai.

• Ms. Gerri Ryan, Director, Merchandise Textile & Cads (MTC), New York.