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Lifecycle
Management
and Product
Development as
Global Chief
Creative Officer,
CCO
Liaison between fortune 500 companies, select wholesalers and their suppliers in producing creative, brand exclusive programs
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Left, process snapshot: click the above titles to see more.
Meet Amanda Giddens
President and CCO
Home Decor, Textiles and Art Licensing - Wholesale and Retail
Creative Charlie
by Amanda Giddens
Product Design, Development, and Global Strategic Sourcing
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2008-2009 I Product Developer, Product Designer, and Global Sourcing I THE MICHAELS COMPANIES
In 2008 The Michaels Companies, Inc. launched a new in-house sourcing and design initiative to refresh their brand (above: model store). Selected as 1 of 13 designers invited to join the team. Roles included: Global Product Designer, Developer and Trend Analyzer, Project Manager and Global Sourcing. Created co-hesive mood boards, trend guides for company-wide guidance, designated colors, produced exclusive product designs and collaborated with designers, sourcing teams and VPs to build a distinguished and trend-right brand (such as Celebrate It ).
We more than doubled our sales goals the first year reaching over $16 million! Whoo hoo! Attended global trade shows and art licensing fairs for research and development. Categories managed: Fabric Ribbon, Wedding, Celebration, Home Décor, Giftables, Kids Crafting and Bakeware. In addition, assisted with art licensing for product application, plus served as a product stylist for retail store displays (inspirational product uses) and Ecommerce marketing and media for branding.
Ribbon
Examples: Oversaw the retail store's ribbon program (above left), assisted in product styling with ribbon for retail store marketing displays (above right)
Responsibilities and Goals:
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Assisting in the achievement of $180 million incremental direct import by the development of additional projects into the sourcing pipeline.
Support the Business Unit in achieving +5% contribution to project pipeline. My team more than doubled our goal in less than a year.
Examples: fabric swatch quality review (above left) and on-site supplier capability reviews in Asia at textile factories (above right)
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Collaborating in the product development process by partnering with category buyers and sourcing teams. Estimated $51 million in savings.
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Example: print designs for textiles, (left) for Michaels' celebrate it™ brand.
Wedding and Celebration
Conceptual
Rendering
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Pencil Sketch
Graphic Design
Wedding Favor Treat Boxes
as a Faux Cake
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Size: 14"Dia. x 14"H
Faux cake embossed decorative paper
Paper Hydrangea Flowers
Example: unique giftable designs
(above) created by hand sketching and computer rendering, complementing Michaels' Celebrate
It™ brand and trend strategies.
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Retail store Wedding Category isle (left) showcasing some of our updated products at the mock store.
Giftables and Home Decor
Pantones #
Examples: (above) hand drawn and computer colored whimsical witch bottles for seasonal Halloween decor
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Halloween ornament conceptual hand sketches (left) for miniature tree home decor
Roles: collaborate with the new Design Team, Sourcing Team, Buyers and VP’s to develop the best product for fulfilling brand architecture needs.
Partnering with the appropriate vendors and identifying new vendors, in Asia during sourcing trips, and at trade shows, that bring vision and creative resources to the process.
Bakeware
Examples: exclusive, decals for ceramic bakeware designs (above) including seasonal trends like Halloween, Christmas and Holiday and more...
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Visited Asian trade shows with Sourcing Teams to locate appropriate, quality suppliers for mass production.
Jewelry
Examples: an acrylic, jewelry storage carrying case design (above left) which by it's
translucent nature showcases colorful beads, cross-selling jewelry products. Shown (top right) the Michaels mock store jewelry category display.
Shabby chic style beading stand design (above) created for jewelry crafting as a home decor accent.
Kids' Crafts
Foam tie hand crafted as a Father's Day craft kit concept for kids (above)
Fairyland Kids' Craft kit, a mixed media foam and bead craft kit concept (left/above)
Clutch craft kit, a felt concept (below) based on trending product uses, as well as a fun foam bag (right) a mixed media hand crafted kit concept.
Kids' craft concept (above right) example colorful felt friendship bracelets.
Back to School and More
Tween back to school book cover concept (right) example, and (below) seasonal Halloween stickers with embellishments for fun scrap booking and crafts.
Educational kits for Kids Crafting using felt cut-out shapes in global settings such as underwater (below), at a zoo, on a ship or other...
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