Danielle Zalar

Lead end-to-end merchandising for men’s and women’s apparel and accessories Define seasonal strategies and partner with Design to drive category growth Align pricing strategy, channel segmentation, and SKU efficiency to meet margin goals Present new collections to global teams and lead seasonal catalog development Maintain strong relationships with key retail accounts through trade shows and market visits Execute exclusive SMU opportunities to enhance market relevance and retailer differentiation Analyze sales trends and global market shifts to inform future product direction

Oversee full product lifecycle for global lifestyle and activewear brands including Junk Food, Reef, Columbia, and Bass Pro Manage multi-brand development budgets and seasonal calendars Drive growth in both core and custom programs through data-driven assortment planning Negotiate costs and lead times with vendors to maintain margins and support retail objectives Mentor and develop a high-performing team of product developers Successfully mitigated tariff challenges by optimizing sourcing strategy across key vendor partners

Directed development across diverse categories: men’s, women’s, kids, knits, wovens, sweaters, accessories Acted as a key liaison between design, tech, and production to streamline execution Maintained accuracy of all product information and tech packs through lifecycle Spearheaded costing negotiations and sample tracking to deliver on-time SMS Strengthened supplier relationships and brought forward innovative fabrics and treatments each season

• Reviewed all bulk fabric and trims for approval • Oversaw the approval of all proto and pre-production samples • Provided weekly internal production reports, as well as special request reports made by customers • Updates WIPs and managed factory T&A to ensure all samples were on time • Planned production load plans and saw that all styles shipped within the customer’s cancel date

• Issued, updated and tracked sample PO’s • Sent out submit comments and updated tech packs to overseas vendors • Approved Invoices • Assisted developer by tracking samples and updating WIPs • Supported team by organizing style folders and samples • Organized sample sales • Oversaw all domestic and international shipping