Jennifer De Luna
Garden Grove,CA
Summary
Hardworking Technical Designer well-versed in managing specifications and developing basic patterns. Skilled in working with suppliers and coordinating prototypes. A passion for proper fit, with the preference of working on the challenging, yet personally rewarding, area of Women's fit. Ready to bring nearly 30 years' experience in the field to a challenging new role.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Freelance Technical Designer
Antigua Apparel
06.2022 - Current
- Work closely with designers and developers
- Create and approve basic block patterns and associated specs for fit consistency across vendor base for key products.
- Mentor tech design assistants, providing guidance on best practices and fostering professional development within the team.
- Through research of ASTM sizing standards and marketplace, established size charts and worked with modeling agencies to acquire proper fit models.
- Through research of industry standards, established grading standards that are being applied across all Mens and Womens apparel.
- Improve customer satisfaction by addressing key pain points in existing products through targeted fit modifications.
- Lead successful prototyping efforts, validating design concepts and identifying areas for improvement prior to full-scale production.
- Work to achieve and maintain fit consistency across all brand items.
- Lead fittings, document comments for changes and send final corrections to vendors in the form of spec revisions, sketches, and physical pattern adjustments.
Freelance Technical Designer
Vapor Apparel
09.2020 - 06.2023
- Improved customer satisfaction by addressing fit inconsistencies in existing products through targeted fit modifications and realigning the product to industry sizing standards, acquiring appropriate fit models for Mens, Womens, Big Kids, and Toddler product.
- Wrote company grade standards for all product categories based on market research.
- Led successful prototyping efforts, validating design concepts and identifying areas for fit and costing improvement prior to full-scale production.
- Improved fit consistency across all brand items and vendor base.
- Ran fittings, documented comments for changes and sent final corrections to vendors via updated measurements, sketches, and physical pattern corrections as necessary.
- Worked closely with designers, production staff and merchandising team members.
Technical Design Manager
Hurley
08.2014 - 01.2020
- Served as the primary point of contact for design, development and production facilitating internal process updates and prioritization of workload across all categories and seasons.
- Facilitated training sessions for new hires on company tools and processes, expediting their onboarding experience and contributing to long-term retention rates.
- Facilitated regular review of competitor and market fits, making adjustments to overall fit targets and grade standards as justified.
- Researched new product and fit categories to write appropriate fit standards and grading. including Australian and Asian markets as needed.
- Served as the primary point person for all high level research and product collaboration projects.
- Reviewed and hired fit models based on company standards.
- Mentored junior technical designers, fostering their professional growth and enhancing overall team performance.
- Managed a team of technical designers and assistants, while also maintaining my own product categories ranging from Printables, Womens tops and dresses, and outerwear for Mens and Womens.
- By physically reviewing and adjusting the factory's patterns when necessary, was able to speed up the fit approval process on more complicated styles.
- Worked directly with our IT department and the software manufacturer to customize a standard product management system to make it more user friendly and efficient from a technical design standpoint; personally testing the software updates as they were written.
Technical Designer
Hurley
08.2005 - 08.2014
- Worked closely with designers, developers and production staff in creating market ready styles, making suggestions for construction updates that would allow for improved costing and production feasibility.
- Created basic block patterns and associated specs.
- Assisted in the procurement of appropriate fit models based on company standards.
- Led fit sessions for my categories, offering suggestions for improvements to enhance end use consumer's experience with the product.
- Communicated fit changes to overseas vendors via updated specs, sketches, and pattern revisions when necessary.
- Applied standard grade to all styles in my categories.
Product Developer
Hurley
05.2004 - 08.2005
- Collaborated with designers to ensure execution of style vision and worked with garment manufacturers to ensure production details and requirements were clear.
- Reviewed prototypes comparing to techinical sketches, ensuring factories were properly interpreting requirements and designer vision.
- Reviewed products and updates to meet company quality standards and to achieve product approval and buy ready deadlines.
- Assisted in fittings and generating fit comments as the need arose due to heavy workloads of Technical Design department.
Patternmaker
Billabong/Hurley
08.1994 - 05.2004
- First through Production patternmaker for a variety of garment categories including Snowboard, Mens bottoms, and Womens tops and bottoms
- Electronic pattern manipulation on Lectra CAD pattern system.
- Manually applied grading standards to electronic pattern files.
- Collaborated with designers to complete initial patterns and maintain styling.
- Reduced material waste by optimizing fabric usage through efficient manual layout of sample and production markers.
- Worked directly with sample sewers to improve patterns for optimal sewing ease at the factory level.
- Conducted fit sessions with designer and developer to achieve intended vision for each style.
- Worked in conjunction with my manager to develop our patented velcroless boardshort fly.
Education
Certificate - Fashion Design And Dressmaking
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA05.1994
Skills
- Measurement Specifications Writing
- Supplier Communication
- Fitting Assessments
- Problem Solving
- Attention to Detail
- Garment Construction
Timeline
Freelance Technical Designer
Antigua Apparel
06.2022 - Current
Freelance Technical Designer
Vapor Apparel
09.2020 - 06.2023
Technical Design Manager
Hurley
08.2014 - 01.2020
Technical Designer
Hurley
08.2005 - 08.2014
Product Developer
Hurley
05.2004 - 08.2005
Patternmaker
Billabong/Hurley
08.1994 - 05.2004
Certificate - Fashion Design And Dressmaking
Orange Coast College
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