Matthew Foster

Experience

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  Goodwins Timber Frame

  May 2006 - Oct 2008

  Junior Designer

  Designing timber framed structures for residential and commercial purposes, primarily using AutoCAD. Duties involved drawing plans and elevations, working closely with in-house engineers and production teams, assisting with large commercial projects, planning factory floor layout and space planning.

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  Foster Apparel

  Apr 2008 - Jan 2024

  Performance Apparel Designer & Developer

  Experienced designer and developer of high performance sportswear, teamwear, apparel and outerwear throughout the UK and Europe - working with Under Armour, Skins, the Invictus Games and the Paralympic Games.

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  Celtic Print

  Sept 2010 - May 2011

  Graphic Designer

  Designing a range of print media for clients, including business cards and stationery, booklets, large format and billboard advertising, corporate identities and photo retouching. Responsibilities included creating concepts and presenting to clients, setting up artwork for both digital and full process colour print, proof reading and preflighting.

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  DoVisualisation

  Jul 2011 - Feb 2012

  Assistant 3D Visualiser

  Actively involved in the 3D modelling of various commercial projects, including interiors, exteriors, products and displays. Generated 3D models based on materials provided by clients, and applied textures and lighting to produce photo realistic visuals. Photoshop used for retouching and enhancing rendered images for final presentation.

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  Under Armour

  Mar 2012 - Mar 2017

  Designing and developing new and existing teamwear product ranges for the fastest growing sports brand in the world. Key responsibilities include; market research, concept creation, design and development, sampling and prototyping, setting up production drawings for manufacture, fabric stock management, planning and ordering, and production of the seasonal catalogue. Working as part of the product team, alongside graphics, customer services and production, with experience dealing with suppliers in the far east both in person and via daily email communication. Show less Designing teamwear and sports apparel for clubs, schools, universities and organisations throughout the UK and Europe. From initial tender presentations to final production drawings for manufacture, all aspects of design work were undertaken. Initial set-up of graphics templates, presentations and manufacturing drawings for production were completed on initial employment. The role included creating bespoke graphics for customers, varying from schools, Universities, national teams and large organisations. These graphics were then translated into a detailed manufacturing drawing, leading to the delivery of a completely bespoke product. I have worked with high profile accounts including the Royal Navy, Help for Heroes, the Georgian national rugby team and the Commonwealth Games. Show less

  • Product Manager

    Feb 2015 - Mar 2017

  • Designer

    Mar 2012 - Feb 2015
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  SKINS

  Mar 2017 - Oct 2019

  Product Design & Development Manager

  Starting a teamwear operation from scratch is a daunting prospect, especially when the parent brand is traditionally associated with a niche market such as compression wear. I joined Skins Teamwear at the start of this journey, and have been involved in setting up the supply chain; sourcing and stringent testing of performance fabrics, both knitted and woven; creating and updating size specs and detailed tech packs including construction, fit, trims and packaging; creating custom apparel designs for sponsored clients; implementing internal systems for order processing and fabric management; creating internal training documents for staff, covering product range and features, factory overviews - including capacity, strengths, minimum order quantities, production processes and lead times; product care guidelines and end of life disposal/recycling; and creating and maintaining brand guidelines for use on all products, from labelling to external branding. Show less

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  Unify Brand Partnerships

  Aug 2020 - now

  Overseeing the overall company design objectives and initiatives within retail, marketing, product, B2B and e-commerce.Working with some of the most exciting brands in the Active and Outdoor markets, including 2XU, Cotopaxi, Rumpl, K-Swiss, Teva and Reef.

  • Design Manager

    Jan 2024 - now

  • Senior Design Executive

    Apr 2022 - Jan 2024

  • Design Executive

    Aug 2020 - Apr 2022