Career Highlights
- FIDM: Taught 3 levels of fashion design from beginning to portfolio for over 15 years
- Ruth Robbins Sportsware: achieved 6-year sales track record of 98% sell-through
- Catalina Sportswear, Bay Club by Ruth Robbins, designed activewear and increased sales from $0-9 million the first year
- Nike: Design Director for women’s and girl’s tennis and activewear
- K Swiss: Designed and manufactured women’s active group
- Liberty House Hawaii: Honored as top California designer/ media blitz of Hawaii
- Merv Griffin: Activewear featured exclusively as a 10-minute fashion show segment
- Editorial: Articles in CAN, WWD, DNR, and Glamour Magazine
Professional Experience
Vargas Girl (2012) – Designed swimwear group and print using the Sherazade painting as inspiration
Nordstrom Fashion Island, Newport Beach (2010-2011) – Sales associate in active & swim dept with daily first-hand interaction with 3 generations of sporting women, & the brands they loved Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising 1994-2008 Fashion Design Instructor/ full-time faculty, Los Angeles and Orange County.
Walt Disney Company, Disneyland Park, Anaheim, CA (2005-2006) – Costume design consultant Applied extensive retail and wholesale experience to locate fabrics, trims and wardrobe for 2 parades
- Coordinated accessories and costumes for each park parade with over 15 athletic cast members each
- Supervised fittings for 3 original character costumes and 2 singing quartets in the park and supervised fittings at the Western Costume sewing studio
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- Taught 3 design courses with 6-9 design classes per quarter with up to 16 students per class including the advanced class for the exit portfolio
- Focused portfolio students talent with marketable creative visual and verbal skills
- Developed a sustainable environmental design project that launched 6 students into their design future
- Motivated students to discover where their strengths fit in the global fashion market
- Demonstrated trends in colors, fabrics, and construction techniques in the classroom and on field trips
- Guided students to interpret design and research using art, culture, and current events in politics.
- Created harmony of purpose in the classroom by welcoming students thoughtful critiques and open conversations
Fashion Business Foundation & Success
Catalina Sportswear, Los Angeles, CA
Women’s activewear: designer for start-up division Bay Club by Ruth Robbins
- Increased business from $0-9 million the first year and received royalty percentage of sales – Ruth Robbins name appeared on hang tag
- Consulted yearly with 3 textile mills in New York in advance of their wholesale market – Set activewear trends by developing new performance fabrics, colors, trims, and silhouettes
- Traveled continually and captured fashion intel in 6 major European cities with my very own eyes
Ruth Robbins Sportsware, Hawthorne, CA
Founder, President, and Designer/ Merchandiser
In-depth knowledge of fashion business as founder/designer of $6 million activewear Company Market trend expert with the ability to spot proven marketable trends anywhere, anytime Recognized by industry leaders for being instrumental in initiating the activewear movement in the United States Designed and merchandised women’s, girls, boys, and men’s tennis, running, and golf.
Education/Training
Certificate of Professional Leadership Development, May 7, 2010
Los Angeles Trade Technical College, AA in Fashion Design
