Shanti Rackley
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, Accessories and Soft Goods · GMPC LLC
Carmel Valley, CA
In My Own Words
Product Development Leader with over 20 years of experience working with overseas factories in Asia and Latin
America. Specialties include Knitwear, Accessories, and Apparel (men and women), Peruvian Suppliers, Sustainable
Sourcing, Private Label Account Management.
Work Experience
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, Accessories and Soft Goods
GMPC LLC2011 – 2012
• Worked cross functionally with Design, Sales, Planning, Sourcing, and Operations on all issues related to private label customers • Managed Development Process each Season for Multiple clients to ensure accurate and on-time delivery of samples and final production for key deliverables and milestones. • Attended customer design/development meetings seasonally to establish design direction, units per collection, and establish factory placement. • Created and maintained all product styles, tech packs, approval binders per customer • Responsible for development of knit accessories, apparel, soft goods, and leather goods from inception to final sample approval for multiple customers each season • Responsible for tracking, collecting, and storing of samples through various stages of development.
KNITWEAR FACTORY AGENT
Mafatex Agency2011 – 2011
• Business Development - work with Agent's current US customer base to introduce new products, categories, and sourcing potential within Peru, increasing units ordered and overall production PO's. • Sourcing - worked closely with US based designers on collections, sourcing current trend appropriate materials, yarns, and designs for successful selling seasons. • Visited Factories on a weekly basis, overseeing development and WIP for our US customers. • Product Development - Update tech-packs, approve quality submissions, lab dips, and counter samples for customer, from a large network of sweater manufacturing facilities and yarn suppliers in Lima Peru. • Trend Forecasting - Research seasonal US market trends including color, fabric, and silhouette while creating visual presentations and trend briefs seasonally to increase market ready product and orders. • Attend industry tradeshows, visit yarn suppliers, research new market trends and pass this information to our clients for upcoming development.
Product Development Manager
Dolce Vita Inc NYC2008 – 2010
• Managed private label projects with customers such as W Hotels, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie. • Line planning - review collections, merchandise lines based on sales analysis, trends, and customer feedback. • Evaluate all samples for fit, measurement, grading, construction, quality, tolerance standards and functionality from sampling to pre-production state. • Collaborated with Sales and Design teams ensuring all SMS, lookbooks, and linesheets were executed correctly and on-time for seasonal shows. • Attended Major tradeshows and regional (Coterie, ENK, D&A, etc) - working with key buyers and accounts. • Ensure that design and production calendar stages are being met on time. • Created solid customer base of national boutiques, on-line retailers, and department stores increasing sales from under 1 million to over 7.5 million in > 3 years.
Production/Sourcing Manager
Dolce Vita Inc NYC2007 – 2010
• Led five-member team who together effectively execute all aspects of production, sales and logistics for 10+ collections a year. • Evaluate and assign purchase orders based on factory capacities, capabilities, and costs needed to obtain maximum profit margins and speed to market. • Worked with 100's of national boutiques, online retailers, and majors, to deliver goods on time. • Sourced new materials to meet trend and cost needs. • Analyze Production and Time and Action calendars to maintain on time deliveries. • Attended meetings to ensure cross functional teams were executed tasks efficiently and on time. • Successfully directed multiple phases of production over a span of 3 years; continually adapting to job demands, based on rapid growth of division.