About
Where craft meets the P&L.
Senior Design Director. Sixteen years directing creative across a portfolio of global brands — with an industrial-design background and a habit of leaving teams and systems better than I found them.
Trevor Wills · Chicago, IL
I'm a Senior Design Director who bridges creative vision and commercial results. Over 16 years I've led design teams across a portfolio of 11 licensed global brands — Levi's, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Columbia, Cole Haan, Tommy Bahama, Dickies, Kenneth Cole, Dockers, Red Wing, and Guess — plus private-label programs for Target, Walmart, Macy's, Costco, Kohl's, and JCPenney.
My edge is seeing market, brand, team, calendar, and P&L at the same time. I partner early with merchandising, product development, and operations leadership so creative decisions land as commercial ones. I direct the work — and I build the systems and relationships that let great design happen when I'm not in the room.
I came up through industrial design, so I'm just as comfortable talking construction, materials, and manufacturing as I am art-directing a campaign. Lately that's meant championing digital product creation and responsible materials across the org — bringing the team to where the industry is heading.
My approach
Great creative work needs three things: strategic clarity (knowing what we're solving for), a collaborative culture (bringing the best out of teams), and operational excellence (executing under real-world constraints). I focus on all three.
Experience
Sixteen years, one company, five levels up.
Promoted from Assistant Designer to Senior Design Director at Randa Apparel & Accessories — the world's largest men's accessories company.
Randa Apparel & Accessories
Lead design strategy, product development, and brand management across Randa's largest category. Oversee 11 licensed global brands plus private label for Target, Walmart, Macy's, Costco, Kohl's, and JCPenney. Manage 6 direct reports and influence 20+ across product, sales, marketing, and sustainability. Appointed Product Group Lead for Randa's ESG Committee, directing cross-category sustainability strategy.
Randa Apparel & Accessories
Elevated product design strategy for men's leather goods and accessories across licensed lines and retail channels. Strengthened the loop between design, merchandising, and sales — reducing costly late-stage revisions and driving brand and commercial consistency.
Randa Apparel & Accessories
Conceived, named, and co-led the creation of Damen + Hastings — Randa's first owned brand — from concept to a national launch at Kohl's, including a Made-in-USA collaboration with Pintrill. Pioneered Randa's earliest leather sustainability initiatives before formal ESG programs existed.
Randa Apparel & Accessories
Owned the full design process from concept ideation and material selection through factory handoff and production approval. Built deep working knowledge of global manufacturing and construction standards.
Randa Apparel & Accessories
Supported senior design teams across multiple licensed brand programs — product construction, material sourcing, trend research, and cross-functional work with vendors and sales.
Fossil Group, Inc.
Foundational accessories design at a globally recognized brand — branded product development, materials, global manufacturing, and the pace of a fast-moving accessories business.
What I do best
Four things I'm known for.
Creative Leadership
- Directing seasonal creative strategy across multiple brands
- Building cohesive visual narratives from concept to customer
- Leading photoshoots, trend development, and brand campaigns
- Brand authenticity that still drives commercial results
Team Development
- Mentoring designers from junior to senior leadership
- Building a culture that empowers creative risk-taking
- Establishing clear growth pathways and design standards
- Creating systems that enable consistent excellence
Strategic Innovation
- Led enterprise CLO 3D adoption across the org
- Founding member of RAA’s AI Trailblazers group
- Rolling generative AI (Vizcom.AI) into trend & concept work
- Securing executive buy-in across PD, Ops & IT
Business Acumen
- Reading brand, market, calendar & P&L at the same time
- Partnering early with merchandising, product development & sourcing
- Presenting to executive & licensed-brand stakeholders
- Built the business case for enterprise 3D — 66% fewer samples
Skills & tools
The toolkit.
Creative Direction
- Brand Strategy & Management
- Campaign Development
- Photography Direction
- Trend Forecasting
- Visual Storytelling & Art Direction
Design & Technology
- Adobe Creative Suite
- CLO 3D (Department Champion)
- Vizcom.AI & generative AI workflows
- Digital Product Creation
- Industrial Design · Gerber Yunique PLM
Leadership
- Team Management (20+ people)
- Mentorship & Training
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- ESG Strategy & Sustainability
- Change Management · Design Ops
Recognition & impact
A few things I'm proud of.
- Promoted through five levels of design leadership at RAA — Assistant Designer to Senior Design Director.
- Led creative direction for 15+ bi-annual seasonal collections across 11 licensed global brands.
- Championed enterprise-wide CLO 3D and AI adoption — +35% speed-to-market, −66% physical samples, −2 weeks cycle time.
- Appointed Product Group Lead for Randa's ESG Committee, directing cross-category sustainability strategy.
- Co-founded Damen + Hastings — Randa's first owned brand — to a national launch at Kohl's.
- Pioneered Randa's earliest leather sustainability initiatives before formal ESG programs existed.
- Adapted creative strategy across luxury, mass-market, and private-label segments.
- Founding member of RAA's AI Trailblazers group.
Beyond work
Based in Chicago. Fujifilm in my bag most weekends — architecture, street scenes, the occasional national park. Die-hard Detroit sports fan (Red Wings, Lions, Tigers, Pistons). Happiest outdoors with family and friends.
"Form follows function — that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union."
Frank Lloyd Wright