Donna D'Aponte
Toms River,NJ
Summary
Product development and production executive leading global sourcing, costing, and commercialization across apparel, accessories, home, and materials. Builds teams and operating structure, improves margins, reduces costs, and manages product execution from concept through delivery with domestic and international factory partners.
Overview
39
39
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Product
Bodily
01.2026 - Current
- Directed end-to-end production, sourcing and supply chain operations for rapidly growing women's wellness brand, overseeing product development, costing, vendor management, production planning, quality, and logistics to ensure timely delivery and alignment with brand goals.
- Led global sourcing and manufacturing-partner development, managing vendor negotiations, costing, and capacity planning to optimize supply chain effectiveness.
- Partner cross-functionally with Design, Planning and Finance to align product and production priorities.
- Implemented process improvements to enhance operational efficiency, reduce lead times, and increase production-calendar visibility, facilitating better resource allocation.
- Direct forecasting and purchase-order management while maintaining strong domestic and international factory relationships.
- Mentor and develop production and sourcing team members, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.
Head of Product
Billionaire Boys Club
New York, NY
01.2021 - 01.2025
- Managed a team of 5 across production, product development and graphic design for Pharrell Williams' luxury streetwear brand spanning woven, knits, jersey, home and accessories.
- Directed seasonal commercialization calendars, milestones and product execution for nearshore and overseas factories.
- Developed nearshore sourcing strategies that reduced lead times, supported print-on-demand and increased margins.
- Negotiated factory costing and sourcing strategies, aligning with margin and financial targets.
- Streamlined production and graphic-design processes, enhancing cross-functional infrastructure.
- Managed fit and print execution in collaboration with Merchandising, Design, and Marketing on product strategy and collaborations.
- Developed new and existing sourcing partners based on margin, quality and design aesthetics.
- Reduced printing costs by 45% by sourcing new partners.
Vice President of Production, Fabric & Technical Design
Draper James, Inc.
New York, NY
01.2015 - 01.2021
- Managed team of 8 across production, technical design, product and fabric development for RTW, woven and knits, handbags and home, ensuring alignment with brand objectives.
- Created and led technical, production, product development and fabric teams; directed seasonal factory allocations and executive line reviews.
- Collaborated with design and merchandising from initial concept through commercialization, facilitating seamless transitions and enhancing product offerings.
- Sourced fabrics, trims, yarns and leather, negotiating factory costs and terms to meet margin goals and optimize supplier relationships.
- Increased retail margin from 25% to 75%.
- Modified the commercialization process, generating $750K in annual savings through staff reduction and improved efficiency.
- Built the brand from initial concept to $25M in net sales.
Director of RTW & Soft Accessories Product Development, Production & Costing
COACH, INC.
New York, NY
01.2010 - 01.2014
- Managed a team of 10 Product Managers through concept-to-commercialization for Women's and Men's RTW and Soft Accessories across Full Price, Collection and Outlet.
- Increased RTW margins from 17% to 65% by eliminating agent-based factories.
- Directed global factory strategy and seasonal allocations to streamline product development and meet sampling and commercialization goals.
- Negotiated product costs, sourced trims and vertical materials to enhance margins while preserving brand aesthetics and design execution.
- Led cross-functional collaboration with design, merchandising, technical and fabric teams, establishing garment testing and quality assurance processes.
- Vertically sourced leather RTW product, increases margins from 5% to 35%.
- Managed departmental budgets for samples, travel and headcount and mentored Product Development talent.
Sr. Product Development, Production & Costing Manager
COACH, INC.
New York, NY
01.2001 - 01.2010
- Directed product development from concept through production while ensuring design aesthetics, quality, costing and delivery objectives.
- Coordinated factory sourcing, sampling, commercialization, and seasonal costing strategies to align product timelines and quality standards.
- Hired, trained, and developed a product development team, fostering strong global factory relationships to optimize production processes.
- Led team of 8 product managers to support women's and men's full price and outlet divisions for outerwear and soft accessories, enhancing cross-functional collaboration.
Director of Production
Liz Claiborne
New York, NY
01.1988 - 01.2000
- Oversaw production and factory allocation for $15M business, led a team of 4 production managers to enhance operational efficiency.
- Managed inventory and divisional margins while coordinating cross-functional production requirements with design, sales and merchandising.
- Sourced products and negotiated costs with domestic and overseas factories, approving order placements and streamlining production flow.
- Reduced factory lead times to support a 12-week quick-response program and maintained day-to-day product development and distribution flow.
- Established a direct-ship hosiery program generating $100K annually.
Education
Associate of Science - Fashion Buying & Merchandising
Laboratory Institute of Merchandising
New York, NYPersonal Information
Title: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
Timeline
Head of Product
Bodily
01.2026 - Current
Head of Product
Billionaire Boys Club
01.2021 - 01.2025
Vice President of Production, Fabric & Technical Design
Draper James, Inc.
01.2015 - 01.2021
Director of RTW & Soft Accessories Product Development, Production & Costing
COACH, INC.
01.2010 - 01.2014
Sr. Product Development, Production & Costing Manager
COACH, INC.
01.2001 - 01.2010
Director of Production
Liz Claiborne
01.1988 - 01.2000
Associate of Science - Fashion Buying & Merchandising
Laboratory Institute of Merchandising