Paula Hanna

In my time as Product Operations Manager - Creative, I've made significant contributions to enhancing overall efficiency and effectiveness within the creative team. I've spearheaded the creation of workshops and facilitated cross-functional alignment, ensuring seamless collaboration across teams. Additionally, I initiated seasonal color meltdowns to refine processes and improve future seasons. Remaining adaptive and responsive to evolving circumstances, I've aligned teams and implemented innovative approaches to working, fostering a collaborative environment that thrives on making small yet impactful seasonal adjustments. Furthermore, I've prioritized cultivating strong relationships, maintaining a positive outlook during challenges, and demonstrated receptiveness to feedback. All of which have been instrumental in driving continuous improvement and growth within the organization.

As the Sr. Colour Designer, I researched and forecasted trends and insights to create Lululemons' compelling global seasonal colour palette assortment for the Men's, Women's, accessories and shoe categories. We created new seasonal colours that drove 60% of sales in the core businesses.

Working with design, merchandising and technical teams on business trends and insights, I created focused, cohesive, compelling head-to-toe colour assortments for Lululemon's Women's lounge, OTM, core and event categories, elevating the design's visual aesthetic, ensuring that each product capsule came to life with colour, print and graphics, being mindful of seasonal fashion trends and the art and science of colour.

I also developed and built a new seasonal global colour folder that was updated bi-annually, naming all the colours and calling out any colour risk concerns—a crucial tool for our partners to view all seasonal colour chips and names in one place.

In this role, I successfully set up the operational and team structure of the Colour Department, recruiting and hiring qualified candidates to support the colour team growth. I managed five designers and streamlined the colour processes across the Men's and Women's businesses. I built cross-functional partnerships with our design, merchandising and technical teams to drive brief requests and hand off accurate work, on time. Through strong working relationships with our colour supplier, I created an internal design colour library with easy-to-reference colour books, tools and supplies. I implemented colour risk processes across technical teams to reduce colour fallouts. I was a crucial player in trend research, building the global colour palette and breaking the palette colours into different fashion categories.

I was responsible for supporting the merge of Men's and Women's Print, Graphic, and Colour Concept teams under one umbrella. I implemented new working calendars, processes and product flow. I created the team organization chart with clear job descriptions and deliverables. I supported in colour, print and graphic design meetings and presentations, providing clear agendas, expectations, cross-functional requests, timeline deliverables and takeaways. I worked with the colour technical team to educate myself about colour concerns across different substrates and supported the colour team with new colour risk processes. I partnered and communicated with the Go to Market team weekly on key dates, deliverables and process updates and changes.

I managed the in-season deliverables and design execution for the Men’s creative teams. Created Go To Market milestones with Improved collaboration, timelines, processes, calendars, and group communication.

• Monitored team progress and enforced deadlines.
• Delegated daily tasks to team members to optimize group productivity.
• Fostered positive employee relationships through communication, training and development coaching.
• Managed, trained and supported all Design Assistants

In this ten-month maternity leave contract role, I supported the Product and Design teams with the following:

• Creating and implementing a new seasonal calendar
• Overseas vendor communication
• Costing reviews (fabric, printing, dyeing, trims)
• SMS and photo-shoot fabric bookings
• Prototype tracking and communication
• Sample fittings
• Daily management of the product development team
• Team reviews
• Creating and managing Gentle Fawns designs, tech packs and specifications

During maternity leave, I kept creative by working on concepts and designs for Gentle Fawn's S/S 2012 and 2013 collections.

• I also worked on Designs and Concepts for Orb Outerwear (Global Collective), Creating Outerwear Designs, knit colours, and trends for F/W 2012 and F/W 2013 Collection.

I started at Aritzia as a Design Assistant for Wilfred and Talula Babaton; as I grew with the company, I had the opportunity to support the Talula label, eventually landing a role on the TNA team and working on Aritzia’s 2010 Olympic Collection.

• Trend research and analysis
• Create presentations for trend, colour, fabric and trim research
• Create seasonal colour palettes
• Develop and approve seasonal fabrics
• Create a balanced, cohesive, creative, innovative, and tangible collection
• Develop and manage label, packaging and trim direction
• Fittings
• Licensing approvals for Olympic Collection

Working at Ladybird Children's Clothing, I gained international experience in several unique roles:

• Created Children's Accessories line
• Trained in technical colour in a dye house in the North of England
• Built a colour lab and Implemented technical colour approvals to yield consistent colour across the brand
• Managed design requests and hiring of Design Freelancers
• Supported in creating and presenting a unique line of Ladybird Clothing to investors