Roberta Grillo
Designer & Director
Experience
Designer & Director
Culture of Brave
- Designed Culture of Brave collection since 2020 and managed brand distribution starting in 2022.
- Oversaw brand concept and development for both brands, including graphic design and marketing.
- Led footwear and garment design from concept to finished product, producing all items in-house to ensure top quality.
- Directly involved in daily production tasks: design, pattern and last development, fitting, leather development with tanneries, object dyeing, cutting, lasting, and cementing.
- Handled communication efforts, including photo shoots and photo books.
- Managed sales interactions with buyers, including exhibitions and showroom meetings during Paris Fashion Week.
Freelance Footwear Consultant
Clients: Henry Cotton’s, Tommy Hilfiger, CNC Costume National, Marina Yachting, Aquascutum London.
I have been working as footwear designer/consultant providing a professional service from design to product development. My activities can be resumed as follows:
- Product merchandising and design analysis
- Market research, design proposal, mood-boards and freehand cads
- Adobe Illustrator / Shoemaster cads and tech packs
- Product development management
- Collection organization and planning
- Design and development management with sourcing
- Recently designed a new technical project for an important karting shoe company
Co-owner & Creative Director
Nihomano
- Co-founded Nihomano to introduce handcrafted sneakers for the hi-end/avant-garde market.
- Oversaw brand concept and development for both brands, including graphic design and marketing.
- Led footwear and garment design from concept to finished product, producing all items in-house to ensure top quality.
- Directly involved in daily production tasks: design, pattern and last development, fitting, leather development with tanneries, object dyeing, cutting, lasting, and cementing.
- Handled communication efforts, including photo shoots and photo books.
- Managed sales interactions with buyers, including exhibitions and showroom meetings during Paris Fashion Week.
Senior Footwear Product Manager EMEA
Fila
I have worked as Senior Footwear Product Manager EMEA in Fila – London. Being responsible for the collection on the style, merchandising and development points of view, my activities can be resumed as follows:
- Analyze market / consumer trends, including competitors
- Analyze sales seasonal evolution
- Providing clear brief to the design team
- Drive design in range, materials, color definition.
- Drive range planning / SKU management/collection segmentation
- Define price architecture to meet brand margin expectations
- Negotiate prices with suppliers
- Product development management with sourcing
- Coordination of development including lasts and patterns
- Interact with sales teams across EMEA to develop the collection
- Understand individual market needs
- Manage season merchandise meetings during the collection development
- Present the line to sales at seasonal launches
Footwear Product Manager
Tomasoni Topsail Spa
I have worked as footwear product manager for North Sails, Henri Lloyd and Outrage brands. Being responsible for the footwear collections for design and product development, I managed four freelance designers and a junior product manager to meet product, timing and price positioning targets for the brands.
Summary
Starting from footwear merchandising and product management, I focused on product design in 2010. After 3 years as a freelance designer for major professional sportswear brands, I decided to boost my skills with a new venture: an original shoe concept combining the comfort and the look of a sneaker with the materials and the construction expertise techniques of an ancient handmade dress shoes. This concept is now a reality called NIHOMANO.
Languages
Education
Ars Sutoria
Footwear Design, Pattern Making · Milan, Italy
University of Political Science
Political Science · Genoa, Italy · Magna cum laude
High School Firpo
Final degree · Genoa, Italy · 60/60
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