CV

Professional Summary: Designer and Corporate Consultant with a proven track record in the fashion industry, specializing in fashion design, footwear, leather goods, and accessory manufacturing. Experienced in diverse areas, including interior design, furniture design, and lighting fixtures. Proficient in creative direction, cross-cultural collaboration, innovative project conceptualization, and intangible design such as customer service.

​

Education

​​

• Graduated from an all-girls boarding school Stoneleigh-Burnham in Massachusetts with mastery in AP Art level 6

• Studied Foundation of Fine Art at Rhode Island School of Design

• Majored in Graphic Design at Pratt Institute, NYC 

• Switched Major in Fashion Design at Pratt Institute, NYC

​​​

​

Work History

• 1995:

  • Collaborated with classmate Norman Smithman to plan and launch a punk fashion brand during university junior year. Initiated orders and sales. Expanded to design footwear based in East Village, NYC, and production based in Alicante, Spain.

• 1996:

  • Alongside classmate Jeremy Scott's debut collection, started activity as an accessory producer based in Paris, alongside Norman.

• 1998:

  • Founded a leather products trading company Dela Corporation Fashion Inc. with ACC Italy represented by Antonio Bassi specializing in manufacturing and selling high-end women's footwear, headquartered in Minamiaoyama, Tokyo, and Marche, Italy.

  • Established a showroom Antenna88 in Chelsea, NYC with Suzi Skate Funahara, overseeing design, manufacturing, and import-export of 15-20 brands in global markets until 2003.

• 2003:

  • Married fashion stylist Yoshiharu Enda based in Rome, Italy.

  • Worked at Enda's private design studio as Accessory Designer at studio 8, for ten years until 2013.

  • Organized, localized, and produced Tokyo Fashion Week shows for Italian Fashion houses such as ETRO and BVLGARI.

  • Designed and produced accessories for celebrities, provided accessories for professional use as advertisement shoots, magazine editorial shoots, and industrial fashion shows, and localized European brands for the Japanese market.

• 2005:

  • Alongside styling, worked as a researcher and writer for a fashion news program MODAista on Tokyo radio station 81.3FM J-wave for seven years until 2012.

• 2011:

  • Relocated to the foothills of Mt. Fuji when daughter Erica entered elementary school.

  • Founded NGK Camp Art School in collaboration with Musashino Gakuin University Professor Jeffrey Trumbly, supported by the Ministry of Education and Yamanashi Prefectural Board of Education. Pioneered innovative curricula and services for kids' glamping, outdoor education, extracurricular learning, and language education through both visual art and performance art A.K.A. CLIL method for a decade until 2021.

• 2016:

  • Established design firm CASA66, undertaking projects ranging from fashion to real estate renovation.

  • Provided consulting services for companies including Gener８ INC. (Japan, interior and furniture), Raraya Co., Ltd. (Japan, bags, children's shoes, and school bags), ALTO Co., Ltd. (Korea, industrial lighting for B to B), and ALTEK TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd. (Korea, interior and lifestyle products for B to C).

• 2021 - 2024:

  • Moved to Seoul and worked as Creative Director at ALTO Co., Ltd. and Head of Product Development at ALTEK TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd. in Seoul, Korea mentioned above.

  • Returned after a 2-year assignment in 2023 and currently taking a year off from major business and serving the Manolo Blahnik store and the Gucci Store in Gotemba Premium Outlet as an Inbound Customer Service Representative.

​​​

​

Language Skills:

​

Japanese: 

Native.

​

Korean:　

While I am not proficient in conversation, I have spent almost two years in an environment where attending lengthy meetings and submitting documents in Korean was essential. As a result, I have developed some ability in listening and reading Korean.

​

Italian: 　

I possess basic conversational skills and can comprehend written Italian.

​

English: 　

Having spent my teenage years in America, I am fluent in English, which I use both in daily life and at work. While I continuously study business English, I can provide interpretation in interviews and meetings, create instruction manuals, and compose basic legal documents.

​

 

Other Skills:

 

Design Expertise:

I have a track record in designing various items including shoes, shoe components, footwear construction, clothing, bags and leather goods, metalwork, acrylic products, ceramics, furniture, interior construction materials, lighting fixtures, small miscellaneous goods, graphics for packaging and advertising, and audio-visual content for websites and advertisements.

​

Design philosophy:

In intangible design, I excel in incorporating ergonomics and usability, while in intangible design, I integrate psychological thinking and service theory into my designs.

​

Design method:

My design approach involves not only drawing design sketches but also envisioning three-dimensionality, textures, and goals from the initial stages. This method learned over the past 25 years with guidance from technical experts and senior professionals, allows me to think through designs from start to finish.

​

Manufacture and Quality control:

I have gained knowledge about product quality and market viability through hands-on experience with products in circulation. I continue to enhance my understanding of different manufacturing methods and considerations specific to each country's context.

For the selection and quality control of raw materials, leather, related materials, and interior components, I have acquired knowledge and sensibilities through practical experience. I also understand the distinctions in origin, processing, and distribution across various countries including Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

​

Business, Legal, and Accounting Knowledge:

Laws differ by country, requiring ongoing learning, but I am very much aware of the fact that dealing with laws when turning ideas into business ventures is inevitable and personally intriguing. 

​

Public Relations and Sales Expertise:

I am well-versed in PR and sales in North America and Japan, and I understand distribution-related considerations. In practice, I collaborate with trusted press agencies to optimize strategies based on project budgets. For sales, I may engage distributors depending on scale and characteristics.

I am experienced in participating in and managing exhibitions and shows in North America, Europe, and Japan. I also understand the differences in territories and distribution considerations.

​

Human Resources and Team Building Skills:

I possess observation, strategic thinking, analytical, human resource management, and problem-solving skills. I can consistently assemble the right team for each project, cultivate a healthy and highly productive environment, and take the lead.