MARCELA MORATO
Venice,CA
Summary
A visually driven Creative Lead who commands the space where uncompromising luxury aesthetics meet flawless execution. Expert at steering fast-paced creative production pipelines, shaping brand narratives through clean, intentional styling, and defining the visual layout and flow of premium collections. Highly adaptable and grounded, with an obsessive eye for detail honed in luxury retail. Seamlessly coordinates multi-stage creative proofing, brand asset handoffs, and digital storefront presentation to ensure immaculate product storytelling from initial concept to the final customer experience.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Store Manager
PARACHUTE HOME
01.2021 - Current
- Directing daily operations, business strategy, and client engagement while upholding the highest standards of luxury retail.
- Partner closely with the Store Manager to drive revenue growth, optimize operations, and deliver an elevated client experience rooted in design expertise and service excellence.
- Oversee store operations and business performance, including scheduling, payroll support, inventory flow, and floor management, ensuring seamless execution in a high-volume flagship environment.
- Drive sales strategy and KPI achievement by analyzing business metrics, identifying opportunities, and implementing initiatives that elevated both revenue and client satisfaction.
- Recruit, train and coach team to embody luxury service standards delivering consistent client engagement and individualized consultation experiences.
- Act as a design consultant and trusted advisor, leveraging product and interior design expertise to conceptualize personalized bedroom and home layouts tailored to each client's lifestyle.
- Cultivate lasting client relationships through proactive clienteling strategies, fostering loyalty, repeat business, and referrals from discerning clientele.
Custom Design Coordinator
SUGAR PAPER
01.2018 - 2020
- Promoted to lead the custom design program across three retail locations, serving as the primary liaison between clients, store teams, and production.
- Oversaw complex, high-volume custom orders while maintaining premium service for high-end studio clients.
- Acted as the main point of contact for all custom design orders across three locations, ensuring consistency, quality and client satisfaction.
- Led and organized the custom design program, managing project timelines, proofing stages, and production schedules to deliver on time and to standard.
- Simultaneously managed 50+ active clients, balancing large-scale holiday and personal stationery orders with personalized, high-touch service for luxury clientele.
Store Manager
SUGAR PAPER
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Oversaw daily operations of a design-focused stationery shop, managing a small creative team while guiding clients through custom projects from concept to final product.
- Specialized in bespoke letterpress work, event stationery, and cultivating long term client relationships.
- Directed end-to-end custom design projects for weddings, holidays, and milestone events, ensuring quality through multiple proofing stages and final letter press production.
- Translated client visions into actionable design, using strong communication skills to align creative direction with production team capabilities.
- Balanced creative design oversight with operational management, streamlining workflows and ensuring timely delivery of custom stationery orders.
Assistant Store Manager
Burton Snowboards
01.2015 - 08.2017
- Owned the in-store visual aesthetic, directing all seasonal floor sets and window displays to tell a cohesive, premium brand story.
- Curated high-impact apparel styling and mannequin presentation, creating authentic, visually clean focal points that drove product sell-through.
- Used sales data to pivot visual layouts, strategically moving apparel collections to maximize floor space and elevate product storytelling.
- Maintained obsessive visual standards, managing daily product presentation, precise styling details, and seamless floor merchandising.
- Led and mentored the team on brand guidelines, ensuring every associate understood how to execute the brand's visual identity on the floor.
- Translated high-level corporate creative directives into a functional, beautifully styled retail environment that resonated with our local customer.
Keyholder
PARACHUTE HOME
01.2021 - 2022
- Led sales floor operations at the flagship location of a luxury textile and bedding company.
- Combined leadership with design expertise to drive sales, elevate client experiences, and support achievement of monthly KPIs.
- Led and motivated the sales team on the floor, acting as a shift leader and utilized sales engagement strategies to consistently meet and exceed monthly KPI targets.
- Applied deep knowledge of textiles and interior design principles to guide clients toward cohesive, elevated solutions that reflected both function and luxury style.
- Partnered with clients in design consultations, using Canva and product expertise to conceptualize layouts and bring their vision to life.
- Flagship location of a luxury textile and bedding company.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL05-2016
Skills
- Creative Storytelling & Image Sequencing: Expert at organizing and sequencing visual imagery with a sharp eye for visual rhythm, maintaining the elevated, aspirational brand codes typical of luxury retail
- Adaptive Design Coordination: Skilled at translating high-level editorial concepts and seasonal mood boards into clear, actionable direction for production, onset, and in-store creative teams
- High-Touch Quality Control: Possess an obsessive attention to detail honed in the luxury market; experienced in auditing final assets to ensure absolute precision in product styling, garment fit, and color accuracy
- Visual Layout & Concepting: Creative expertise in using Canva to wireframe digital layouts, mock up creative concepts, and prepare visual assets for multi-channel storytelling
- High Adaptability & Creative Problem Solving: Highly agile and adaptable in fast-paced environments; proven ability to quickly pivot visual strategies, adjust to shifting production timelines, and solve unexpected design challenges on the fly without sacrificing aesthetic quality
- Proven ability to act as the primary bridge between creative directors, external retouching partners, and e-commerce teams to maintain uncompromised, top-tier brand consistency
- Experienced in managing tight design timelines, overseeing multi-stage creative proofing and post-production notes, and coordinating fast-paced asset distribution
- Skilled in preparing and syncing creative assets across digital storefronts, marketing campaigns, and inventory systems to ensure a seamless premium consumer experience
Timeline
Assistant Store Manager
PARACHUTE HOME
01.2021 - Current
Keyholder
PARACHUTE HOME
01.2021 - 2022
Custom Design Coordinator
SUGAR PAPER
01.2018 - 2020
Store Manager
SUGAR PAPER
01.2017 - 01.2018
Assistant Store Manager
Burton Snowboards
01.2015 - 08.2017
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
University of Central Florida