ABOUT
I believe great design begins with understanding: why it exists, who it serves, and how it makes someone feel.
I was trained to obsess over every detail - how something fits, how it moves, how it makes you feel when you wear it. Growing up in the Netherlands, where design culture values clarity, purpose, and functionality, shaped my belief that great product should be intentional, timeless, and grounded in real human needs.
YI ZHOU
SENIOR CREATIVE/ DESIGN DIRECTOR
NEW YORK CITY · AMSTERDAM · HONG KONG
PHILOSOPHY
I believe intentional design - not only aesthetics, but the thinking behind every detail, every fit decision, every material, print and graphic choice - is what separates great design from good design. And it's what makes someone feel something when they put it on.
GLOBAL BACKGROUND
I grew up in the Netherlands, professionally shaped across Hong Kong and New York City. That range has given me a genuinely global perspective: cultural nuance, market fluency, and a deep understanding of how consumers across different worlds relate to what they wear.
CAREER
Over 20 years I've practiced that belief from every angle. Leading global creative teams at Nike and Converse. Building and launching my own brand - including inventing and patenting a performance fabric.
Consulting for premium labels from global sportswear giants to emerging lifestyle brands across women's, men's, active, performance, golf, RTW and lifestyle.
CASUALIZATION ANGLE
I'm most energized at the beginning of something - finding where a brand's identity and a consumer's unmet need intersect, in a world where the boundaries between active, performance, golf, lifestyle and RTW are blurring.
That's where design and business strategy meet. And that's where I do my best work.
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WORKING ACROSS ROLES
CORPORATE
Global Scale
Building scalable product systems, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering results within complex global organizations. Nike, Converse, AAG.
ENTREPRENEUR
Built From Zero
As founder of See Rose Go, I experienced the full responsibility of building a brand from the ground up - concept, product, operations, marketing, and growth.
CONSULTANT
Outside In
Partnering with brands - Tory Sport, Scotch & Soda, Vans, Li Edelkoort - to shape creative and design direction across RTW, lifestyle, active and performance.
My career has moved fluidly between corporate leadership, consulting and entrepreneurship - each experience shaping how I approach design and creative desicion-making.
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HOW I COLLABORATE
I work closely with teams across design, merchandising, development and leadership to create clarity around product direction and decision-making.
My approach is collaborative, structured, and grounded in listening - ensuring ideas move forward with alignment, purpose, and momentum.
