REBECCA POLLINA Largo FL ***** • 617-***-****

adwhfc@r.postjobfree.com • LinkedIn Profile

SENIOR FOOTWEAR DESIGNER + DEVELOPER

REPEATEDLY DESIGNING BESTSELLING LINES THAT REVITALIZE BRANDS + WIDEN CUSTOMER BASES Consumer-centric designer who stays close to the pulse of trends while appealing to the long-term customer to ensure that brands have a leading edge in the marketplace. Successful at improving product development processes to boost efficiency. Offer a wealth of experience partnering with suppliers and manufacturers in Asia and Central America. Collaborate with development, engineering, manufacturing, retail, wholesale and the sales team to ensure alignment across all functions. Early career as a pattern maker lends a deep knowledge of aspects of design that have become a “lost art.” Leverage this knowledge to build credibility when leading teams of veteran designers toward more modern practices. CAREER SNAPSHOT

- Head of Design at Corky’s Footwear + SAS: Launched Corky’s new Hey Girl line, creating 35% increase in sales during global pandemic. Modernized SAS aesthetic and ventured into men’s athleisure and women’s boots to keep pace with trends.

- Design Roles at Earth Brands, Rockport, Easy Street + Clarks: Repeatedly refreshed tired brands and enabled companies to capture and expand new customer bases. Created one of Easy Street’s top-selling shoes in company history and grew its Bella Vita line 35% in two years. Launched the women’s “Market” category for Clarks, growing from 200K to 5M pairs sold.

- Early Career in Patternmaking: Laid a strong foundation for shoe design that is not only creative, but also efficient. EXPERIENCE

HEAD OF DESIGN

CORKY’S FOOTWEAR, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR – 2018 TO 2022 Quickly promoted to Head of Design for all subsidiary brands (Corky’s, Boutique and Hey Girl) with the goal of expanding lines, creating more fashionable styles and increasing sales. Began in 2018 as a Consultant/Senior Women’s Designer tasked with designing the S/S ’20 line and starting a new women’s leather boot line, the success of which led to promotion in 2019.

• Transformed Corky’s offerings from a random assortment of SKU’s to a cohesive, well-thought-out line of shoes for each brand. Conducted trend research that had been lacking in Corky’s previous design strategy.

• Widened Corky’s customer base to include younger, more fashion-focused consumers by creating the new Hey Girl by Corky’s brand, which is currently in its fourth season and has doubled in size since launch.

• Created a 35% increase in sales across all brands from 2020 to 2021 despite global pandemic because new styles appealed so strongly to customers. Appeared in product videos during pandemic to boost awareness and sales.

• Improved workflow from research stage through product shipping by contributing expertise to the creation of a product development app.

HEAD OF DESIGN

SAS SAN ANTONIO SHOEMAKERS, SAN ANTONIO, TX – 2015 TO 2018 Recruited to infuse new life into a tired brand and attract a younger demographic while maintaining the loyal customer for a comfort-focused footwear company. Led a team of three designers and two administrative professionals.

• Refreshed the brand’s aesthetic, tied styles together with a theme based on trend research and expanded color palettes and range of materials, garnering coverage in Footwear News and Footwear Plus.

• Increased competitive edge in the footwear industry by introducing modern silhouettes, outsoles and lasts.

• Grew the men’s line and expanded to capitalize on athleisure trends with new sneakers and sandals.

• Boosted women’s sales and expanded brand footprint by launching the company’s first line of women’s boots.

• Ushered the design team into the current era, despite initially being stuck in old ways of thinking. Leveraged deep knowledge of patternmaking and design to build credibility with long-standing employees and led the team to shift from expensive, out-of-date patterns and lasts to create a wider range of styles in a more cost-effective way. REBECCA POLLINA Page Two • 617-***-**** • adwhfc@r.postjobfree.com CONTRACT DESIGNER

VARIOUS CLIENTS + LOCATIONS – 2014 TO 2015

Created sketches and designs for footwear companies including Easy Street/Bella Vita, Marlboro Footworks and Clarks.

• Created one of Easy Street’s best-selling shoes in company history. PRODUCT DESIGNER

EARTH BRANDS, WALTHAM, MA – 2013 TO 2014

Brought on board to refresh the look for Earthies, the company’s higher-end, all-leather line. Navigated a unique workflow with 50% of the working period spent in China. Position was eliminated after one year due to cancellation of Earthies line under new leadership.

• Brought a younger, fresher look to Earthies over two seasons, including upper design and outsole development. Led new leather development for the Fall 2014 line.

• Improved workflow between US and China offices by implementing leather category and organization. SENIOR WOMEN’S DESIGNER

ROCKPORT COMPANY, CANTON, MA – 2010 TO 2013

Challenged to grow women’s footwear, for a company long dominated by the men’s range, as the sole in-house women’s designer. Supervised one junior designer.

• Boosted sales with design and launch of the new Rockport Truwalk Zero line, which included walking shoes, boots and athleisure styles.

• Initiated growth in all segments and categories within the women’s range by creating a cohesive women’s casual offering within the brand.

LINE BUILDER + DESIGNER

EASY STREET, SOMERSWORTH, NH – 2007 TO 2009

Tasked with creating a unique brand aesthetic from scratch as Easy Street’s first in-house designer after the company had been purchasing shoes from an agent and simply changing the colors for years.

• Created and developed the new Bella Vita line, along with Easy Street upper and outsole concepts, aligning all design with trend research findings.

• Grew Bella Vita line sales 35% in two years by keeping pace with evolving trends and responding to customer needs. WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR DESIGNER

CLARKS COMPANIES N.A., NEWTON, MA – 2002 TO 2007

Brought outsole and upper design concepts from idea stage to finished product for a large, well-known brand. Additional roles at Clarks include Upper Designer and Pattern Maker.

• Launched and grew the new women’s “Market” category from 200K to 5M pairs sold. The new category targeted mainstream consumers at an affordable price point. Additional tenure as Designer + Pattern Maker at Vanson Leathers (Fall River, MA). Details available upon request. EDUCATION

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS IN FASHION DESIGN

Newbury College, Brookline, MA

“Becky stands out from other designers in her understanding of her target consumer and what makes product salable. Although she is very creative, she understands the importance of staying true to brand DNA and not venturing too far off just to hit a trend or to create product she personally likes.” – Former Colleague

Contact this candidate