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Hi, I’m Heather Denis! I’ve spent the last 15+ years designing headwear and accessories for category favorites like melin and San Diego Hat Co. I founded Vintini to help apparel brands easily expand into premium hats and leather goods. Think of me as your development partner—I handle the technical strategy, tech packs, and factory sourcing so you don't have to stress about the details. You get a beautiful, retail-ready new line, and your team gets to stay focused on what they do best.…Hi, I’m Heather Denis! I’ve spent the last 15+ years designing headwear and accessories for category favorites like melin and San Diego Hat Co. I founded Vintini to help apparel brands easily expand into premium hats and leather goods. Think of me as your development partner—I handle the technical strategy, tech packs, and factory sourcing so you don't have to stress about the details. You get a beautiful, retail-ready new line, and your team gets to stay focused on what they do best.

Heather Denis

Designer, Product Designer, Creative Director

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Hi, I’m Heather Denis! I’ve spent the last 15+ years designing headwear and accessories for category favorites like melin and San Diego Hat Co. I founded Vintini to help apparel brands easily expand into premium hats and leather goods. Think of me as your development partner—I handle the technical strategy, tech packs, and factory sourcing so you don't have to stress about the details. You get a beautiful, retail-ready new line, and your team gets to stay focused on what they do best.…Hi, I’m Heather Denis! I’ve spent the last 15+ years designing headwear and accessories for category favorites like melin and San Diego Hat Co. I founded Vintini to help apparel brands easily expand into premium hats and leather goods. Think of me as your development partner—I handle the technical strategy, tech packs, and factory sourcing so you don't have to stress about the details. You get a beautiful, retail-ready new line, and your team gets to stay focused on what they do best.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Heather Denis!
I’ve spent the last 15+ years designing headwear and accessories for category favorites like melin and San Diego Hat Co.
I founded Vintini to help apparel brands easily expand into premium hats and leather goods. Think of me as your development partner—I handle the technical strategy, tech packs, and factory sourcing so you don’t have to stress about the details. You get a beautiful, retail-ready new line, and your team gets to stay focused on what they do best.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

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Expert

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Expert

Work Experience

Principal Designer & Consultant at Vintini LLC

January 1, 2026 - Present

Independent design consultancy specializing in premium accessory development for fashion and lifestyle brands. Lead end-to-end product development — from trend research and concept design to technical packages, vendor sourcing, and production sign-off. Develop brand-aligned accessory lines that drive higher AOV and margin for clients through premium material selection and precise technical execution. Create development workflows that reduce sampling risk, control costs, and accelerate speed-to-retail. Consult brands on strategic accessory expansion to elevate their full product ecosystem without compromising brand integrity.

Senior Designer & Developer at San Diego Hat Company

February 1, 2019 - January 1, 2026

Led design and development for women's handbags, accessories, home décor, and licensed headwear across multiple seasonal collections. Designed and developed 40+ SKUs seasonally across handbags, accessories, and home décor, ensuring competitive market costing without quality compromise. Led licensed headwear program for Hang Ten™, managing design integrity and brand standards end-to-end. Built and maintained technical packages for all categories; managed full spec-to-sample review cycle. Sourced globally across Asia-Pacific markets; planned and maximized overseas sourcing trips to optimize vendor relationships and lead times. Collaborated directly with sales to build competitive, market-appropriate lines that performed at retail.

Senior Designer & Developer at melin

February 1, 2016 - January 1, 2019

Defined seasonal design direction and led all technical development for men's premium headwear across 4 annual collections. Established seasonal design direction including themes, colorways, graphics, and silhouettes for men's ball caps and beanies. Created and maintained detailed technical packages and specifications for all headwear styles and trims.

Developer & Designer at Nixon

September 1, 2011 - November 1, 2015

Contributed to cross-category design for men's and juniors apparel and small accessories within a collaborative team environment. Developed seasonal concepts across men's and juniors knits, wovens, and small accessories; maintained full technical packages including fabric, trims, and construction details. Negotiated costs, minimums, and lead times with domestic and overseas vendors to protect margin targets. Partnered with technical designers on all fittings to uphold design integrity and brand standards. Styled product for seasonal photo shoots and presented lines at planning meetings.

Youth Designer at DC Shoes

March 1, 2008 - August 1, 2010

Designed boys' and young men's sportswear and accessories for a globally recognized action sports brand. Forecasted trends through retail research and international market travel; translated insights into commercially relevant seasonal designs. Managed technical packages for both sportswear and accessories categories; guided fittings with technical designer. Developed and translated takedowns from the men's line into youth-appropriate executions. Presented collections at Global Sales Meetings.