About Me

Creative Director / Art Director

I am a strategic thinker and conceptual, image led art director with 18+ years experience working across fashion, beauty and luxury brands. Love everything that is stylish, has amazing functionality and is driven by a big idea.

 

ACHIEVEMENTS

Created two beauty campaigns during lockdown, one for Nivea Q10 Energy which mirrored how us busy women are feeling working from home, with a need to Hit Refresh! Another for No7 working with a real Mum and gymnast Anna, using her own content in the TVC.

Increased sales of merino wool fibre at Woolmark by 300% with two global campaigns encouraging fashion designers to see that wool can be soft, sensorial and luxurious.

Completely re-vamped De Beers branding and digital communications, changing perceptions of them as an old fashioned, colonnial business to a modern, innovative player.

Created the world's first eco luxe lingerie brand, challenging mis-conceptions about ethical fashion, sold through Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Barneys NY. Negotiated licensing deal with Marks & Spencer for diffusion range 'Eco-B'.
 

CLIENTS

De Beers, No7, Vertu, Merino Wool, HR Owen, Boodles, Harvey Nichols, The Savoy, Insignia, Harrods, Vashi, M&S Beauty, Vidivici, Show Beauty, Nivea.

 

SKILLS

Creative direction, art direction, advertising, digital, experiential, social, film, photography, branding 

Strong digital experience working on websites, large format digital films, mobile apps, animation, comms

UI, UX, HTML5, After Effects, Adobe Experience Manager, Magento

 

EDUCATION

1st (BA Hons) Graphic Design – Central Saint Martins

Distinction (MA) Textile Futures – Central Saint Martins

 

EMPLOYMENT

September 2017 – Present

Ogilvy – No7 Advertising  Creative Director

– Activation concepts for Core Serums Revival Campaign - ‘Preparation Counts’

– Overseeing production of Core Serums Revival campaign across TV, social and print.

– Overseeing creative concepts for Whipped Moisture and Night Cream across social and print.

– Working with an art director and copy team, designers and production.


Publicis One Touch – NIVEA Advertising  Senior Art Director

Creative concepts for various beauty campaigns:
Q10 Energy, Luminous 630, Essentials Light & Fresh, Black & White, Hyaluron, Magnesium Dry, Nivea Brand Promise

– Art Direction of global integrated campaign for launch of Q10 Energy face cream.

– Art Direction of global integrated campaign for launch of Black & White deodorant.

– Direction of Nivea’s new global communication guidelines. 


Tusting – Brand Consultant & Retail Design, China

Budd Shirts – Brand Consultant

Huawei – HAVAS advertising pitch – Creative Director

Orlov – Fine jewellery – Art direction and social media content consultant

Black Sun Plc – Richemont Group digital pitch – Digital Creative Director

Private NY based client launching a new fashion brand

 

August 2016 – June 2017   
gpstudio – Creative Experience Director

– Leading creative strategy, developing the proposition and big idea for all retail design projects

– Leading all digital work, creating content, working with technology partners

– Working closely with interior designers and graphic designers

– Evolving new business strategy, positioning and proposition of gpstudio with three partners

– Writing thought leadership pieces and articles for PR and marketing


Harrods Luggage – Pitched for and won the project alongside one of the partners. Developed
the creative strategy and ‘The Travel Journal’ concept for the retail space. Created digital plan for the luggage department including large format digital portals and magic mirrors.

VASHI Diamonds – Developed the creative strategy and big idea ‘The Naked Stone’.
Created the digital plan and ‘Diamond Psychometric Test’ concept for the new Piccadilly store. 

RHS Wisley – Developed the digital journey and retail theatre throughout the Royal gardens. Experiential play areas for children to learn about plants. Seasonal story-telling around the collections in the gift shop. Digital signage and brand story-telling. Launching December 2018.

Creative concepts for UK and international beauty clients: M&S, Vidivici, Shilla Duty Free

 

September 2012 – Present
Black Sun Plc – Digital Creative Director

Leading creative aspect on all luxury, consumer marketing and digital corporate communications

– Overseeing 8 designers, 3 direct reports, performance reviews, team motivation, goal setting

– Working closely with 10 technical developers setting up design/production processes and maintaining quality control

– Leading creative client pitches for luxury and corporate clients - winning two new client accounts in first two months - Insignia, Show Beauty

– Developed a new brand identity and website for Black Sun Plc

– Set up Black Sun Digital pinterest page and monthly forum, ‘Digisteria’ to inspire designers about digital media

 

PROJECTS INCLUDE

De Beers – Leading the digital creative strategy for De Beers Group. 2014 developed Interactive Insight Report of the Diamond Industry & innovative corporate website Debeersgroup.com. Created De Beers ‘Building Forever’ and ‘Driving Innovation’ integrated campaigns and contact strategies. Creation of De Beers Canada and De Beers Auction Sales websites transforming their group’s digital brand and digital presence.

Vertu – Digital and CRM led campaigns for launch of Vertu Ti, Constellation Neon, Signature Zirconium, Candy Constellation. Explorative website for Vertu concierge services

Insignia Lifestyle Management – Brand identity, digital design and packaging for luxury credit card company

HR Owen – Brand guardian for digital, CRM and print communications. Creating personalised services mobile app and brand books.

Show Beauty – Digital communications, print and CRM strategy for Tamara Ecclestone’s new luxury haircare range

Savoy Hotel – Digital, CRM and print communications for Savoy hotel

 

FREELANCE PROJECTS – 2010-2012

AWI (Merino Wool) – Creation of ‘No Finer Feeling’ branding and marketing platform

– 2010-2012 global print advertising campaigns

– Digital fashion film – shown on Rollercoaster, Wonderland, Vogue, GQ

– Website for AWI’s first major fashion marketing campaign

 

So Front Row – Business Plan for new luxury online retailer, launching in USA 2016

– Advised on new, innovative business model for online fashion shopping. Created unique business model for So Front Row

– Created 300 page business plan working with team of fashion consultants and KPMG

– Produced detailed primary research on women with £40k - £100k annual fashion spend

– Secondary research focusing on luxury e-commerce sites and their business models: Barneys, Moda Operandi, Net-A-Porter, Avenue 32, Couture Lab, Luisa Via Roma, Farfetch, Polyvore, Shopstyle

 

Boodles – Advertising (print and film) concepts for Boodles fine jewellery for global image campaign, website and POS

Lacoste – Platinum trainer collection – Concepts for retail marketing campaign – Digital & Instore

Selfridges – Advertising concepts for Beauty Department

Panchal – Brand identity, animation and bespoke e-commerce site for new luxury product designer

Flora by Gucci – Test digital film ‘Flora by Gucci’

Fitflop – E-Commerce website design – Email marketing and online advertising

Timothy Han – Brand identity and website design for luxury organic cosmetic brand - sold through Barneys NY

Boden – Art direction of photography for online. Various photo shoots in London and Cape Town

 

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Eco-Boudoir – Launched the world’s first organic lingerie brand. Collections sold through Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Barneys NY, John Lewis. Negotiated a diffusion range with M&S. Brand identity, packaging, art direction.

– 2 websites designed over 4 years including a bespoke e-commerce site (2006-2010)

– Press coverage in every major magazine from The Financial Times to Italian Vogue

Pants Exposed: Know What’s In Your Knickers – Campaign viral film for Eco-Boudoir Raised sponsorship from online ethical retailers: Ascensiononline and Devidoll

– Negotiated financial deal with international lingerie trade show ‘Salon de La Lingerie’

– Launched film at Universal Declaration of Human Rights Festival at the Royal Festival Hall • Outdoor projection on Royal Festival Hall buildings

– Highly successful viral campaign received 150,000 hits on youtube

– London Fashion Week and Toronto Fashion Week specifically requested to show the film

 

Harvey Nichols – Brand identity and retail concepts – Harvey Nichols, Istanbul – Four IV

Mulberry – Brand identity and retail concepts for New York flahship store – Four IV

Esprit – Art direction – Advertising campaign – The Bureaux

Gap – Instore POS, Windows, VM – Re-branding of denim area + launch of pilot store Brent Cross

Superdrug – Art direction – Advertising campaign – Exposure

Ascensiononline.com – Designed website for first online ethical retailer – Hudson Wright Associates

 

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

– Highly experienced in photographic, film and digital production. Good knowledge of current rates and fees, strong negotiating skills and assured project management

– Strong negotiating saved £150,000 of client budget for latest AWI campaign

 

BUILDING TEAMS

So Front Row – Created business plan for new, innovative luxury online retailer. Assembled expert contribution from:

– Teodora Filopovic – Head of Client Services at Burberry

– Simon Hall – Head of E-Commerce at Agent Provocateur

– Alexa Meale – Womenswear Buyer at Harvey Nichols

– Adheela Salajee – Head of Product Development at Burberry

– Annie El Hachem – Head of Marketing at Thomas Pink

 

Eco-Boudoir – Set up high profile management team to raise finance

– Yvonne Johnson, ex Finance Director of Agent Provocateur

– Andrew Grahame, founder of Mr and Mrs Smith Hotels

– Gabrielle Ross, founder of luxury lingerie brand Beau Bra

 

Beloved Media – Set up platform for freelance collaborations

– Diamond Bullet, film production company – produced many tv commercials and luxury films for Vertu

– Simon Collins, creative director/copywriter – previously Global Creative Director, Havas

– Rainer Stolle, 3d artist/animator – worked on Lord of the Rings and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo