Akanksha Srivastava1704, A Wing, Rustomjee Oriana, Bandra East, Mumbai +91 9167329624 kinshu4@gmail.com

S N A P S H O T

Product Design Professional with 11+ years of experience in Apparel, Jewelry and Home décor In depth understanding of Creative Design Development & Range Conceptualization Adept at identifying market trends & customer needs – adapting these into product

P R O F E S S I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E

STUDIO SAMSARA, MALAYSIA June 2013 – till DateCo-Founder & Product Head of Contemporary Indian Handicrafts venture

The venture started off to better represent contemporary Indian design in the SEA Market. Creating a line of handcrafted jewelry & clothing to suit the aesthetic of SEA customers. Four Collections were launched annually, in sync with the local festivals and seasons.

Identification of craft techniques and selection of vendors

Range development with vendors, researching craft styles and combining them with customer inputs

Conceptualization of the brand, its imagery & design ethos.

In year 2 of business, the brand was selling at 3 online stores and 3 retail stores along with pop up events at malls across Malaysia. Selling experience was instrumental in understanding shopper profile & behavior.

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore 2009 - 2010Consultant

During the semester long engagement, the role centered on Design Process where I was training the final semester students of Fashion and Textile Design. Design Process is a combination of theory and practical assignments. I was also involved in Module planning and structuring. Being part of jury, assessment and organizing presentations were other responsibilities/part of role.

Indian Inc. Buying House, New Delhi 2008 - 2009Merchandiser – The Pier, UK

Key product categories - Furniture, Metal & Glass décor, Tableware, Wall & Floor Coverings, Soft Furnishings, Stationery & Gifts

This role was very product intensive and key in my understanding of vendor development. During the year long stint I worked closely with the design team at The Pier and was also

involved in the quality regulations and requirements.

D Group International 2007Head – Design & Sampling

In the yearlong association, my role was centered on setting up of the design & sampling department for the company. Developing new collections for international textile shows, training design team to work on client briefs and present designs were part of the role.

Sarita Handa, Gurgaon 2003- 2006Head – Design & Sampling

Started working as a Design resource for soft furnishings category. In three years, serviced the likes of – Spiegel, Neiman Marcus, Pottery Barn, Target, Walt Disney, Hudson Bay. Profile for the last year was Head of Design & Sampling for the unit handling the Target USA business. This profile was very product and design intensive – in depth understanding of cross category home furnishing and bed linen industry along with learning of International quality standards & testing.

Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna 2001-2002Head – Design & Sampling

As a first job, this role offered exposure to the set up and everyday working of fashion clothing production. During the 18 months association, I worked very closely with the designers. Assisted in developing the Lakme India Fashion Week collection and also represented the company at Femina Clothes Show. Role involved supervision of the sampling & production floor of the Women Fashion, Stock maintenance at Retail stores & assistance at fashion shows.

E D U C A T I O N

Industry Internship – An 8 weeks long internship at Aparna Chandra Studio, New Delhi. This culminated in a collection that was designed and created at the facility. The collection was presented to an external jury & also included by the designer in her upcoming show.

BA - English (Hons.) Graduation 3 years’ Graduate Diploma in Fashion Design, NIIFT (Mohali)

P E R S O N A L D E T A I L S

DOB – 4th March, 1980 Married, Mom-on-Call. Current responsibilities include handling schedules, finances, and

logistics for a family of three Fluency in Hindi & English – reading, writing and spoken Interests include photography & baking