#121020: UMBRO China Archive/An Old School Classic Silhouette
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October 2011 -October 2014
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Nike, Inc. Asia/UMBRO
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Full-time senior designer
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Concept designs, technical and functional solutions, CAD completion, specification deliverables, timeline planning, market researches, consumer habits understanding
I have to admit that being able to work for Nike, Inc. as a footwear designer is a good thing, very good thing indeed. It’s a privilege and an honor. It is also a milestone in my career for sure.
I was hired by Nike, Inc. Asia headquarter to work on UMBRO brand. Large part of my job was to work with international UMBRO design teams in Nike Beaverton headquarter and UK Manchester headquarter. I was also be able to design new silhouette catered for local Asia market.
Since Umbro is a hardcore British soccer brand, on the footwear front, performance soccer cleats and indoor soccer training footwear counted 90% of entire footwear product. Casual athleisure everyday footwear was none-existing. After the design team grew bigger, product and design team were eager to create lifestyle footwear for the local market.
This vulcanized silhouette is the team’s first attempt to introduce new product to the market. With limited resources and finances invested in creating new product it seems logical to start a low cost silhouette. Luckily, the team is able to utilize Nike’s Converse manufactory resource to help develop and produce this collection with relative no hiccups.
Look back this collection I could utilize the branding element more designing this collection. The upper is a bit too simple with only the diamond logo of gel screen printing. The following season I did something different where I utilized the "A” frame feature from the International team.
