Roberta Grillo - Designer & Director

Q: Where is Roberta based?

Roberta is based in Genoa, Italy .

Q: What languages does Roberta speak?

Roberta speaks the following languages: Italian (Native), German (Advanced), English (Advanced), Spanish (Advanced), French (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Roberta have?

Roberta has at least 22 years of experience. During this time, Roberta has worked in at least 5 different roles and for 4 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 4 years and 6 months . Note that Roberta may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Roberta's latest experience?

Roberta's most recent position is Designer & Director at Culture of Brave .

Q: What companies has Roberta worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Roberta has worked for Culture of Brave and NIHOMANO .

Q: Which industries is Roberta most experienced in?

Roberta is most experienced in industries like Fashion and Apparel and Manufacturing .

Q: Which business areas is Roberta most experienced in?

Roberta is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Marketing , and Production/Manufacturing . Roberta also has some experience in Procurement and Purchasing , Research and Development (R&D) , and Supply Chain Management .

Q: Which industries has Roberta worked in recently?

Roberta has recently worked in industries like Fashion and Apparel and Manufacturing .

Q: Which business areas has Roberta worked in recently?

Roberta has recently worked in business areas like Marketing , Product Development , and Production/Manufacturing .

Recommended expert

Genoa, Italy

Experience

May 2020 - Present

5 years 9 months

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.

Mar 2013 - Present

12 years 11 months

Freelance Footwear Consultant

Provided professional service from design to product development.
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.

Jan 2013 - Present

13 years 1 month

Co-owner & Creative Director

NIHOMANO

Co-founded Nihomano to introduce handcrafted sneakers for the high-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.

Jan 2009 - Mar 2010

1 year 3 months

Senior Footwear Product Manager EMEA

Fila

Analyze market and consumer trends, including competitors.
Analyze sales seasonal evolution.
Provide clear brief to the design team.
Drive design in range, materials, color definition.
Drive range planning, SKU management and collection segmentation.
Define price architecture to meet brand margin expectations.
Negotiate prices with suppliers.
Manage product development with sourcing and coordinate development including lasts and patterns.
Interact with sales teams across EMEA to develop the collection and understand individual market needs.
Manage seasonal merchandise meetings and present the line to sales at seasonal launches.

Jul 2000 - Dec 2008

8 years 6 months

Footwear Product Manager

Tomasoni Topsail Spa

Responsible for footwear collections design and product development for North Sails, Henri Lloyd and Outrage brands.
Managed four freelance designers and a junior product manager to meet product, timing and price positioning targets.

Summary

Roberta Grillo footwear professional since 1997. 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.

Since 2020, I have been working on establishing Culture of Brave, a new sneaker brand now available in high-end boutiques worldwide.

I mix strong organisational skills with out of the box thinking and a 360° view of footwear product process. Travels, books, movies, sailing, diving, swimming and music.

Skills

Trend Research
Brand Management
Product Merchandising
Product Design
Product Management
Technical Development
Shoe Making
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Indesign
Rhino 3d
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel

Languages

Italian

Native

German

Advanced

English

Advanced

Spanish

Advanced

French

Advanced

Education

Oct 2004 - Jun 2005

Ars Sutoria Milan

Footwear designer - pattern maker · Shoe making · Milan, Italy

Oct 1992 - Jun 1997

University of Political Science Genoa

Political science · Genoa, Italy · Magna cum laude

Oct 1987 - Jun 1992

High School Firpo Genoa

Genoa, Italy · 60/60

Profile

Created

June 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Roberta based?

Roberta is based in Genoa, Italy.

What languages does Roberta speak?

Roberta speaks the following languages: Italian (Native), German (Advanced), English (Advanced), Spanish (Advanced), French (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Roberta have?

Roberta has at least 22 years of experience. During this time, Roberta has worked in at least 5 different roles and for 4 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 4 years and 6 months. Note that Roberta may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Roberta be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Roberta would be well-suited for roles such as: Designer & Director, Freelance Footwear Consultant, Co-owner & Creative Director.

What is Roberta's latest experience?

Roberta's most recent position is Designer & Director at Culture of Brave.

What companies has Roberta worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Roberta has worked for Culture of Brave and NIHOMANO.

Which industries is Roberta most experienced in?

Roberta is most experienced in industries like Fashion and Apparel and Manufacturing.

Which business areas is Roberta most experienced in?

Roberta is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Marketing, and Production/Manufacturing. Roberta also has some experience in Procurement and Purchasing, Research and Development (R&D), and Supply Chain Management.

Which industries has Roberta worked in recently?

Roberta has recently worked in industries like Fashion and Apparel and Manufacturing.

Which business areas has Roberta worked in recently?

Roberta has recently worked in business areas like Marketing, Product Development, and Production/Manufacturing.

What is Roberta's education?

Roberta holds a Bachelor in Shoe making from Ars Sutoria Milan.

What is the availability of Roberta?

Roberta is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Roberta?

Roberta's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.