Skills: Sketching · Presentations · Industrial Design · Product Design

Skills: Sewing · Sketching · Presentations · Fitting · Trend Analysis · Garment Construction · Tech Packs · Innovation Development · Product Development · Product Vision · Fashion Design · Creative Direction · Textiles · Product Design

Bike

Moto & Powersports

Outdoor

Streetwear

Health & Fitness

Design Director | Performance Apparel | Innovation | Consultant | Adidas Innovation | Terrex | Oros | Montane |

Top Management

Process Enabled Design

A brief overview of the creative steps I follow during my design process & projects. The process may adapt & change, but it always starts with the consumer.

Brutal Velocity

Collaboration between innovation design, athletes & the TLD brand - to build performance apparel beyond the norm.

Tokyo Surf

A personal project exploring how surfing could show up at the 2020 tokyo Olympics.

OROS apparel

Creative work behind the FW22 OROS Collection

Experienced design leader specializing in performance apparel innovation, adept at navigating complex challenges for renowned global brands. Proven track record of leading diverse teams to create cutting-edge concepts and products, leveraging expertise in design, materials, and technology to surpass customer expectations. Versatile background spans apparel, architecture, and footwear, consistently delivering excellence across various environments from high mountains to urban landscapes.

I am a freelance performance sportswear designer with experience designing for a variety of product categories such as outdoor, sportswear, running, bike, and moto, for both genders. As an experienced cross-functional collaborator and design leader, I provide product vision, creative direction, collaborative innovation tools, and product design services to brands. I am familiar with working in small, self-motivated start-up environments as well as established design cycles typical of larger brands.

My focus is on consumer-centric design through consumer insight, observation, and empathy to identify needs that fuel innovative product solutions through design, detail, garment construction, and material selection.

Design Consultant | Performance Apparel | Innovation

Creative lead responsible for the design aesthetics and direction of the OROS apparel line, through a multi-year and seasonal lens. Starting by leading the work to define the target consumer, enabling greater product focus and identification of range expansion opportunities to meet the business growth goals.

_ Key stakeholder in building a collaborative go-to-market process, delivering a clear creative direction and product vision enabling the marketing teams to build compelling consumer-facing stories.

_ Created seasonal impact through the use of relevant key trend and colour information, to increase brand awareness amongst the OROS target demographic leading to greater sales.

_ Led multiple rounds of concept development, product development and collaboration which resulted in an innovative approach to applying insulation throughout the garments. Creating clear visual storytelling and reinforcing the unique reason to buy the product for the consumer.

_ Managed the collaboration process with snowsport athletes which resulted in a new pinnacle collection + and product offering for the OROS brand. The women’s bibs from the collection being recognized by OUTSIDE magazine in their ‘best new gear’ selection.

Design Director | Apparel | Softgoods | Creating + leading product vision

Led the creative exploration and concept development of advanced apparel projects for the Adidas global brand. Collaborating cross-functionally with Engineering and Sports Science teams to identify areas of research to fuel the design of impactful innovative concepts for the Adidas global brand.

_ Collaborated on building the first framework for women’s apparel innovation roadmap, bringing a consumer-focused and cultural lens to the discussion.

_ Ideated on the future application and aesthetics of key cross-category brand technologies ‘Heat’ and ‘Chill’, leading to their greater adoption by individual business units.

_ Developed an innovative 3D agile tooling technique for creating composite three-dimensional footwear pieces, providing the opportunity to create formed shoe uppers with different material benefits embedded. Patent for the technique in 2020.

Senior Designer, adidas Future team | product innovation | consumer insight | creative leadership

Responsible for the ideation and concept development of high-impact designs. Collaborating with innovation teams to bring together insights from; biomechanics, material innovation, consumer studies and global brand needs.

_ Ideated and designed a unique approach to athletic impact protection, revitalising the protective category for Basketball and American Football business units.

_ Evolved the brand's ‘Powerweb’ franchise design language and functionality into a full-body suit. Validating the benefit to the athlete of enabling quicker reaction times and providing inline teams with a visual direction for commercialisation.

_ Led the design of apparel informed by motion capture, to allow greater freedom of movement for the wearer. Resulting in a groundbreaking collaboration between Troy Lee Designs and Adidas for the co-branded motocross team.

Designer, adidas Futures team | apparel innovation | consumer insight | concept development

Leading design for Premium Trekking, Trekking and Mountain seasonal ranges, 150 plus styles [including carry-over styles]. Conceiving apparel designs in line with overall Adidas performance design language and Outdoor product line management needs.

_ Leveraged my experience into elevating the quality, construction and design of Outdoor products. Creating a greater sense of authenticity and purpose within the product line.

_ Oversaw the evolving design language of the ‘Super Trekking’ collection - which resulted in the Down pieces becoming sales leaders for the business unit.

_ Mentored junior designers, enabling the design team to deliver at a high level across all ranges.

Apparel designer for adidas Outdoor | apparel design | seasonal trend | technical design

Working in a small team to deliver world-class ‘fast and light’ products for the new brand in the UK outdoor market. Closely collaborating with marketing, sales and athletes to build a product that aligned with the brand’s ethos. 

_ Designed and co-created some of the world’s lightest garments, at the time. Including sub 70g windshirts and sub 200g waterproof jackets.

_ Developed range extensions and new categories of products for the Montane brand, enabling the authentic diversifying of sales into run + bike categories [increasing sales].

_ Awarded numerous ‘best-in-test’ accolades by gear publications as we developed best-in-class solutions for garment construction and design.

Design | creative direction | performance apparel | product innovation

Alistair Hather: Design Director | Performance Apparel | Innovation | Consultant | Adidas Innovation | Terrex | Oros | Montane | in Portland, Oregon

Alistair Hather