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Senior creative leader with 20+ years of experience setting seasonal graphic direction and print strategy for global apparel and footwear brands. Known for building cohesive graphic systems, aligning cross-functional teams, and translating consumer and cultural insights into commercially successful product visuals across high-volume, multi-season calendars. Expert in consumer-driven research, future/fast-to-market trend analysis, and cross-category alignment across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Skilled in vendor collaboration, production-ready artwork, tech packs, and delivering strong creative outcomes while balancing brand consistency and commercial needs.…Senior creative leader with 20+ years of experience setting seasonal graphic direction and print strategy for global apparel and footwear brands. Known for building cohesive graphic systems, aligning cross-functional teams, and translating consumer and cultural insights into commercially successful product visuals across high-volume, multi-season calendars. Expert in consumer-driven research, future/fast-to-market trend analysis, and cross-category alignment across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Skilled in vendor collaboration, production-ready artwork, tech packs, and delivering strong creative outcomes while balancing brand consistency and commercial needs.

Esther Sookim

Graphic Designer, Art Director, Creative Director, +7

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Senior creative leader with 20+ years of experience setting seasonal graphic direction and print strategy for global apparel and footwear brands. Known for building cohesive graphic systems, aligning cross-functional teams, and translating consumer and cultural insights into commercially successful product visuals across high-volume, multi-season calendars. Expert in consumer-driven research, future/fast-to-market trend analysis, and cross-category alignment across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Skilled in vendor collaboration, production-ready artwork, tech packs, and delivering strong creative outcomes while balancing brand consistency and commercial needs.…Senior creative leader with 20+ years of experience setting seasonal graphic direction and print strategy for global apparel and footwear brands. Known for building cohesive graphic systems, aligning cross-functional teams, and translating consumer and cultural insights into commercially successful product visuals across high-volume, multi-season calendars. Expert in consumer-driven research, future/fast-to-market trend analysis, and cross-category alignment across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Skilled in vendor collaboration, production-ready artwork, tech packs, and delivering strong creative outcomes while balancing brand consistency and commercial needs.

Available to hire

Senior creative leader with 20+ years of experience setting seasonal graphic direction and print strategy for global apparel and footwear brands. Known for building cohesive graphic systems, aligning cross-functional teams, and translating consumer and cultural insights into commercially successful product visuals across high-volume, multi-season calendars.

Expert in consumer-driven research, future/fast-to-market trend analysis, and cross-category alignment across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Skilled in vendor collaboration, production-ready artwork, tech packs, and delivering strong creative outcomes while balancing brand consistency and commercial needs.

Skills

Fashion Design

Branding

Surface Pattern Design

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Experience Level

Fashion Design

Expert

Branding

Expert

Surface Pattern Design

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Work Experience

Freelance Graphics Director at Self Employed

July 1, 2024 - Present

Provide freelance creative direction and graphics leadership for footwear/apparel/accessories brands. Work with marketing and product teams to develop design direction, seasonal concepts, and production-ready artwork. Current clients include Merrell, Izod, Robert Graham, Target, Dockers, True Religion, and NOBULL.

Director of Graphics at Converse

September 1, 2017 - May 31, 2024

Directed graphics across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Owned seasonal storytelling frameworks and defined seasonal graphic direction informed by consumer insights and cultural research alongside trend analysis. Aligned cross-functional teams around a consistent graphic vision and partnered with Color and Material leadership to establish a unified design point of view across product categories. Guided executions from concept through production while balancing creative innovation with brand consistency and commercial requirements. Delivered print and graphic direction for multiple seasons and managed vendor communication across graphic revisions, sample review, costing, and product execution using advanced print application and production techniques, including production-ready artwork and original print repeats. Prepared and presented seasonal trends and graphic concepts based on travel, trade shows, and market research.

Women’s Graphic Designer at Guess, Inc

January 1, 2013 - August 31, 2017

Set seasonal women’s graphic design direction within a fast-paced fashion environment, developing print/graphic concepts to support seasonal product calendars and store presentation needs. Collaborated with internal teams and external partners to take concepts through to production readiness and supported buying teams within a vertical business model and retail floor set workflows.

Women’s & Men’s Graphic Designer at LRG LIFTED RESEARCH GROUP

November 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013

Created graphics for both men’s and women’s categories, developing seasonal graphic concepts and production-ready artwork. Contributed to visual consistency across product categories and supported execution timelines for a high-volume, trend-informed merchandising workflow.

Juniors Graphic Designer at Element Skateboards / Plan B Skateboards

March 1, 2010 - November 30, 2012

Designed graphics for the juniors division, developing repeat-ready artwork and supporting production timelines. Worked within brand guidelines while contributing fresh concepts tailored to audience and seasonality.

Graphic Designer at Pacific Sunwear

January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2009

Produced graphic designs for retail fashion programs, supporting seasonal visual needs and in-season design updates for store and merchandising workflows.

Lead Graphic and Print Creative Direction (Men’s, Women’s, Gender-Free, Kids) at Nakajima, USA

January 1, 2004 - December 31, 2006

Led graphic and print creative direction across Men’s, Women’s, Gender-Free, and Kids categories for a global, multi-category product ecosystem. Defined seasonal graphic direction using consumer insight, cultural research, and future/fast-to-market trend analysis. Owned seasonal storytelling frameworks, aligning cross-functional teams and partnering with Color and Material leadership for a consistent design point of view across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Guided graphic execution across seasons and delivery timelines, fostering a collaborative team environment that elevated creative output under high-volume calendars. Set print and graphic direction for Men’s and Young Contemporary divisions, managing vendor communication across revisions, sample reviews, costing, and product execution using advanced print application and production techniques. Produced original print repeats and production-ready artwork, created tech packs, and supported buying teams with vertical busine