With a love for color, textiles, and craftmanship, Candace has built a career as a creative leader, shaping and producing covetable product; always mindful of staying true to both brand tenets and the customer.
CENTRIC BRANDS | NEW YORK, NY ( 2021 - Present)
Senior Design Director – Adult, Kids + Family Sleepwear
Lead creative direction and design for a department encompassing men’s and women’s branded and licensed entertainment & character sleepwear and branded children’s and family sleep collections with 4 direct reports.
Architecting key-item assortments, identifying customer needs and successfully delivering modern, innovative brand/account appropriate product in a fast-paced environment with a focus is on maximizing departmental revenue and expanding market share in key retailers.
o Gap x Macy’s and Gap x TJX Sleep & Loungewear
o Women’s & Men’s Entertainment & Character Licensed Sleep
o Dearfoams Sleep & Loungewear
GAP INC. | NEW YORK, NY ( 2018 - 2020)
Global Design Director – GapKids Girls + GapFit + GapTeen
Managed seasonal omni-channel concept and design process from initial concept and sketch to adoption and online/in-store presentation, working closely with the VP of Design, merchant partners, in-store visual leads, and website planning teams. Fostered innovation and trend-forward design, leading an 11-member design and graphic team. Maintained development-ratio targets and production/delivery timelines, collaborating with multiple product development functions and overseas factories and mills to achieve results.
Agile and responsive, able to pivot and innovate using alternate sourcing, factory product development and co-creation.
Launched GapTeen Collection for Summer 2020 – a responsibly sourced and produced collection of modern, age-appropriate silhouettes and proportions designed specifically for sizes 8-16, rooted in Gap’s core knit and denim fabrications.
INDEPENDENT DESIGN CONSULTANT (2017 - Present)
Providing design services for apparel companies ranging from concept and trend research, product development, and design.
• Weihai Luda Accessories - 2020-2021
Target, Girls Accessories – Seasonal trend research and design for tween boys/girls
• Global Brands Group - 2018
Frye Women’s Design
Claiborne Men – Concept, Design
• Five Star Apparel - 2017
Honest & Co – Newborn/Infant apparel license pitch
GAP INC. | NEW YORK, NY ( 2004 - 2017)
Global Design Director – babyGap Toddler Boys 2014 – 2017
Led seasonal development from concept to bulk production, creating strong key item programs and covetable, "mini-me", specialty collections (wovens and knits/sweaters) with 4 direct reports.
Senior Designer – babyGap Toddler Boys 2006 – 2014
Designer – GapKids / babyGap 2004 – 2006
TOMMY HILFIGER | NEW YORK, NY ( 2000 – 2004)
Designer/Senior Designer – Boys Division
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Fashion Apparel/Design | MARIST UNIVERSITY
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION
Founding Member, Community Education Lead |Town of Newcastle Council on Race + Equity (June 2020)
Founding Member | the co-lab (Sept 2020 – Present)
Adjunct Professor | MARIST UNIVERSITY (2005 – 2007)
AWARDS
Gabby Rosenfeld Award for Outstanding Volunteerism, 2022 | TOWN OF NEW CASTLE
CERTIFICATIONS
Beginner/Intermediate Pilates Mat Instruction | BEACON PILATES/PILATES METHOD ALLIANCE
Beginner/Intermediate Pilates Apparatus Instruction | BEACON PILATES/PILATES METHOD ALLIANCE