Curriculum Vitae
Zaal Kaboli – Designer / Design Manager
Marrickville, 2204
0416459319
zaalcreative@gmail.com
Summary
With over 10 years in commercial design, my portfolio has covered a number of brands including fashion, retail, education and the licenced industry.
My personal passion and area of expertise is working with both emerging and established commercial brands.
I specialise in fashion brands but also have solid experience in general design such as logo/brand development, digital design, social media content, environmental, events and activations.
Approachable, sociable and passionate, I have a mature approach to my work and a very positive outlook in general. Previous roles in the fashion industry include:
• Senior Designer
• Art Director
• Design Manager
• Product Development
• Graphic Designer/Illustrator
• Photographer
Work Experience
Senior Designer / Art Director 2014 – 2019
Saban Brands (Mambo & Piping Hot)
Saban Capital Group, Inc. is an American investment firm focused on media, entertainment, and communications investments. It acquired Piping Hot and Mambo in 2015.
Following the acquisition of Mambo by global corporation Saban Brands my current role expanded and developed, and gave me opportunities to work on brands such as Macbeth, Paul Frank and Power Rangers as well as Mambo and Piping Hot.
My current focus is the design and development of the Piping Hot brand retailing at Target. Duties include:
• Trend analysis
• Range building
• Product development & production
• Graphic & print design
• Briefing artists
• Driving sales through data
• Collaborating with buyers
• Promoting the brand through internal and external collaboration
• Attending conferences such as the Circular Fashion conference. Fashion Revolution, various sustainable fashion seminars and the Melbourne Furniture Fair for a collaboration with UNSW where Piping Hots old tee shirts were recycled into solid tiles, table tops and work benches.
Achievements
• Increased investment in the Piping Hot brand by Target and enabled the Creative Director to sell the brand overseas by rebranding Piping Hot for Men with new branding guidelines and a new logo for the FY20 new ranges which targeted a younger more fashionable consumer.
• Designed and developed the first 100% recycled Boardshort and Rash Vest for men in 2018 in alignment with the brands sustainability strategy. These became core repeat items available in Target throughout the year with continuously high sell – through results.
• Increased communication between design departments, increasing productivity, creativity and morale by instigating and chairing weekly creative meetings for the design team.
• Recommended and hired, trained and mentored a junior designer who went on to become the Head of Design at the University of New England.
Head of Men & Youth Boys 2013 – 2014
Mambo (Australia)
Mambo is an Australian designer of surf, snow and street clothing acquired by Saban brands in Jan 2015 for over $10m.
Reporting to the Creative Director, my duties were product development, quality control, graphic artist and artist liaison. Analysing market trends, sales figures and trend forecasting, I would guide our team through the range building process. Contributing with my own artwork for placement graphics, create yardage prints and brief external artists and designers with my own bespoke concepts.
My extensive experience directing campaigns and managing location photo shoots was utilised recently with the Mambo S15 out-door and in store campaign.
My skills in copy writing were used across all categories (including women, youth girls and children) in social media and campaign concepts.
Creative Manager/Designer 2008 - 2013
Creative Pedestrian (Manchester UK)
Creative Pedestrian is a boutique design agency which develops garments for leading retailers such as Topman, River Island and Foot Asylum.
Reporting directly to Managing Director, responsible for all creative output of fashion brands under the management of Creative Pedestrian. From inception through to executing design for garments, concepts for campaigns, direction of photo-shoots, copy writing, control of brand awareness and in-store merchandising.
Clients included retailers such as:
• Topman
• River Island
• Foot Asylum
Achievements
• Won the best stand award at Europe’s leading industry trade show in Berlin resulting in additional media coverage which maximised exposure. Designed and developed trade show concept, stand, range and supporting collateral including press releases in just one month.
IT Skills
Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Adobe Creative Suite
Education
B.A Honours Degree - Professional Media
B.T.E.C Audio Visual Design
Freelance Graphic Designer at Thompson Travel
2007 - 2008
Reporting to Studio Manager, responsible for logo design and re-brand of subsidiary youth holiday brand ‘Escapades’. Asked to stay on as Creative Lead to design and build the brochure and launch of the brand. Resulting in detailed experience of Print Media and large Corporate Brand Development.
Duties included:
• Created new brand identity for Escapades brand including range of icons and logos to be used across all marketing materials.
• Directed photo-shoot in Egypt for Escapades. Reducing overall shoot expense and delivering a bespoke service for the brand.
• Developed brand guidelines that can be adhered to for seasons to come. Enabling future brand management teams to understand and comply to.
• Managed time and skills to personally help build brochure from conception to completion.
• Achieved saving in excess of £25K in design and production.