Destira product development

From first sketch
to final stitch.

Building athletic apparel for the next generation of female athletes- concept through production, end to end.

The role

Head of Product:
Design, Development & Growth

Destira is a women-led brand building athletic apparel for the next generation of female athletes. As Senior Director, I lead the full product lifecycle across gymnastics, swim, activewear, and toddler — from original concept and illustration through sourcing, production, and go-to-market.

Most design directors hand off at the sample stage. I don't.

I own the supply chain, manage factory partners across multiple countries, set quality standards, and see every product through to the customer. The result: elevated craft, expanded category offerings, and measurable growth in revenue, margin, and production velocity.

Original creative work

The prints

Every print across Destira’s assortment is original — illustrated by me and my design team, developed in-house from concept through color separation and production-ready artwork. No stock, no licensing. All ours.

Brand collaboration

Athleta × Destira

Designing for
a national partner

When Athleta named Destira design partner, I led the leotard capsule across six seasons—direction, technical development, and production—sketch through shipped garment.

Athleta × Destira — capsule lineup

New category expansion

Building from scratch

Expanding a brand beyond its core requires more than new designs — it requires new infrastructure. I built both of these categories end-to-end: new vendor relationships, new fit blocks, new silhouette systems.

Swimwear — campaign collage and original prints

Swimwear

Built entirely from scratch — new vendor relationships, fit blocks purpose-built for swim, original print stories developed in-house, and silhouette architecture across one-piece and mix-and-match styles. Every print is an original illustration.

Activewear — studio lineup
Activewear — handstand
Activewear — volleyball portrait
Activewear — leap

Activewear

Extended Destira’s reach beyond the gym and into everyday athletic life for kids and teens. New fabrics, new silhouettes, new customer — built to compete in a crowded activewear market with Destira’s distinct creative voice.

Core business

5,000+

Active SKUs across the assortment

Gymnastics leotards

Leotards are Destira's foundation — and managing them at scale is the job. I oversee full design direction across seasonal drops, original print and pattern development, fit and performance standards, and a live assortment spanning multiple factory partners.

This category demands both creative consistency and operational precision. Every season, every drop, every size run — held to the same standard.

Winter gymnastics leotard campaign — team lineup
Assortment and line planning
Winter collection on body
Print and color development
Behind the scenes in studio

Category expansion

Building a new customer

I led Destira's expansion into toddler — identifying the opportunity, designing for a customer who can't dress themselves while also selling to the parent watching. Those are two completely different briefs in one garment.

New fit blocks built for smaller proportions, simplified construction for easier dressing, and emotional design appeal that works for both child and caregiver. A new customer segment, incremental revenue, and a stronger brand story for the whole family.

Design focus

Age-specific fit & comfort

Simplified dressing & wearability

Strategic outcome

New customer segment — incremental growth beyond core gymnastics

Tiny Leos — toddler gymnastics campaign

Process & production

Design doesn't stop
at the sketchpad.

I source fabrics, manage factory partners, review cut markers, and walk the floor. Production is part of the creative process — and owning it is what makes the work scale.

Fabric sourcing

Pattern review

Sublimation printing

Production specs

Product case study

Want to see how a declining category became Destira's top revenue driver?

Read the case study

Competition leotard relaunch — +650% revenue growth in 24 months

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Product Case Study