CONSULTING & FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Design is most powerful when it connects vision, product, and execution.
I partner with brands to clarify direction, build strong product design architecture, and translate ideas into collections that connect and perform - in market and with consumers.
“The most interesting space in apparel right now isn't a category. It's the space between them - where performance thinking meets RTW construction, where sartorial craft crosses into active lifestyle, where menswear proportion finds its way into women's design.
That's where the most relevant product is being created. And it's where I do my best work."
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HOW I PARTNER
I work the same way whether I'm consulting or in-house- starting with what the product actually needs to do, and building direction from there. I work closely with leadership, merchandising, and product teams to align creative direction with technical execution and commercial objectives.
Build a design language with clear brand DNA - commercially scalable and authentically connecting with the core consumer.
WHAT I HELP BUILD
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01 - Concept & Design Strategy
Consumer-first, commercially grounded, seasonally specific.
02 - Product Design Creation
Collections built from material up, not trend down.
03 - Print, Pattern & Graphic Direction
Narratives that differentiate, not decorate.
04 - Product & Category Development
Foundations designed to scale and grow, not just survive a season.
05 -Brand Strategy & Repositioning
When a brand needs to shift: new category, new consumer, new direction. Bringing clarity to what it stands for and where product needs to go.
06 - Fabric Innovation & Storytelling
Translating what's new in materials into what's next for the brand.
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FEATURED CONSULTING PROJECTS
TORY SPORT
The Elegance of Sport - Creative Design Projects - Winter. Swim. Tennis. Running.
A creative design project spanning four performance categories - Winter, Swim, Tennis and Running. The brief: translate "The Elegance of Sport" from a design philosophy into a cohesive seasonal product direction. Every category required its own creative language while staying true to the same central conviction, that performance and femininity, technical innovation and timeless beauty, belong together.
CLOSING STATEMENT
Tory Sport - four categories, one creative conviction. The Elegance of Sport is a design philosophy that holds performance and femininity, technical innovation and timeless beauty, in equal balance.
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ADDITIONAL CONSULTING
SCOTCH & SODA
Girls SU2025 · Q2 Denim Concept — Creative Design Consultant
A journey where the vibrant energy of Coney Island meets the laid-back spirit of Amsterdam. The art of Summer easy dressing, where comfort meets style. Complete SU2025 Q2 Girls Denim concept and product design direction delivered end-to-end: concept narrative, color direction, graphic direction, trim specification, SKU planning across tops, dresses, shorts, skirts and rompers, fabric specification with codes and content, and a complete technical design package ready for proto sampling.
Scotch & Soda Girls - SU2025 Q2 demonstrates the full breadth of consulting capability - from the first creative concept through to production-ready technical design.
CLOSING STATEMENT
Based in New York. Working globally. Open to the right conversation.
GET IN TOUCH AT yizhou345@gmail.com
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WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
Engagement 01
Project-Based
Seasonal concept development, collection architecture, category expansion or brand repositioning - defined scope, clear deliverables.
Engagement 02
Senior creative leadership on a part-time or ongoing basis - embedded in your team, aligned to your calendar and business cycle..
Fractional Creative/ Design Director
Engagement 03
Strategic creative counsel for leadership teams navigating category decisions, design structure, or product direction at key inflection points.
Advisory
ADDITIONAL CLIENTS
PUMA
ANTA
VANS
LI EDELKOORT - TREND UNION