Ashish Kumar

Ass. Director – Footwear & Accessories Design | Myntra | Ex Reebok, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, AJIO, Raymond MTM | Performance • Lifestyle • Sportswear • Bespoke • Premium Product Development I NIFT

Bengaluru

Ashish Kumar on Tal

Headline

About

My robust and diversified profile is equipped with multifaceted experiences such as: • Knowledge of the intricacies of shoe making by working with leaders in shoe manufacturing. • Insight into the dynamics of the E-commerce landscape by developing business acumen. • Lived the importance of brand building by working for retail fashion giants. • At Reebok, I thrive in a tech-driven environment focused on pushing the boundaries of shoe performance with cutting-edge technology. As a proud NIFT Kolkata graduate, I specialise in leading design and product development, actively participating in merchandising and sourcing. My career has consistently offered opportunities to be part of new ventures and start-ups, allowing me to understand the business from its foundational aspects and learn extensively from the challenges encountered.

Location

Bengaluru

AI stack

claude code

gemini

grok

openai

Adobe Firefly

Work experience

Reebok - Design Head - Footwear at Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited, Sep 2022 - Sep 2025 · 3 yrs 1 mo, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, • Spearheading the development of Reebok 2.0, preserving the brand's legacy. • Leading footwear and accessories design vertical, overseeing Sports, Performance, Walking, Lifestyles, Open Footwear categories with my team. • Established efficient design processes, and restructured development timelines for quicker turnaround. • Instrumental in establishing new franchises and categories to expand the brand’s product portfolio. • Designed and delivered multiple sole moulds across diverse categories, including professional tennis, cricket, running, walking, fashion, and open footwear. • Shaping the direction for athleisure, open footwear, and accessories lines tailored specifically for the Indian consumer. • Collaborated with sourcing and our development centers to ensure the best turnaround for product development. • Monitoring forecasts and working closely with domestic and global suppliers to create materials and trims. • Working closely with the Global Head Office team to align strategies, vision and identity.

Allen Solly - Footwear & Accessories Design Lead at Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited, Jan 2020 - Jan 2023 · 3 yrs 1 mo, • Lead, managed, and drove women’s, men’s, and kids' footwear and accessories from concept to finished product. • Elevated women’s footwear and accessories business with a fresh, bold identity and concept-driven collections, resulting in a remarkable 154% growth. • Attained remarkable volume growth for the category by establishing a solid architectural foundation, implementing a structured development calendar, and invigorating the product lineup with compelling thematic narratives. • Streamlined the ideation-to-development process, collaborating with domestic and global suppliers. Established and grew a profitable Men’s & Kids FAB business, identifying market gaps and connecting with resources. • Contributed to innovation during the Covid-19 pandemic with strong concept proposals and products. Presented market and consumer insights to respond to business objectives with creative and cost-effective design solutions.

Louis Philippe - Senior Footwear & Accessories Designer at Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited, Dec 2017 - May 2020 · 2 yrs 6 mos, • Managed and led multiple design projects for men’s accessories, travel bags, and footwear, aligning with the brand vision. • Played a critical role in growing the footwear & accessories businesses from -7% to +30% by refreshing existing tooling and introducing tech-driven semi-formal shoes and a new sneakers category. • Applied market research, trend insight, and knowledge to interpret business briefs, selecting materials, and presenting innovative concepts. • Created illustrations, technical drawings, and digital renderings for new outsoles and design concepts. Led presentations with strong verbal and visual execution, incorporating a fresh identity into the sneakers line. • Traveled internationally and domestically to track trends and developments with suppliers. • Conducted road shows' range displays and analyzed sales with the team monthly.

Accessories & Footwear Designer at Reliance Retail, AJIO, Oct 2015 - Nov 2017 · 2 yrs 2 mos, Bengaluru Area, India, • Played a pivotal role in formulating a blueprint for the men's footwear accessories offering, identifying market gaps and aligning with consumer needs for private label. • Built a robust supplier base to ensure the delivery of top-quality products across targeted segments. • Undertook a brief transition into buying, contributing to various brands' trade booking, and gaining insights into business acumen. • Successfully established over 10 exclusive brands, each catering to a diverse identity encompassing formal, fashion formal, casual, sport lifestyle, and open footwear. • Restructured processes and calendars across all brands to facilitate a seamless inbound process into the warehouse. • Collaborated with the marketing team to curate the most relevant looks and maintained portal hygiene for optimal customer engagement.

Accessories & Footwear Designer at Raymond Limited, MTM, Jul 2014 - Oct 2015 · 1 yr 4 mos, Bengaluru Area, India, • Designed and developed a customised shoe range, leading to a successful launch in India. • Conceptualised "Calligraphic lithography" for personalising small leather goods. • Conceived "Made to fit" for men's shirting and developed men's lifestyle accessories. • Oversaw the graphic section for product designing, packaging, and communication. • Traveled internationally to work directly with suppliers.

Acccessories Designer at K.H.Leather Industries Pvt. Ltd, Jul 2013 - Jul 2014 · 1 yr 1 mo, Vellore Area, India, • Worked under the guidance of Mr. Regis Fournier, Ex MD Louis Vuitton, India. • Mentored the sample development and commercialising process from initial concept to final commercialisation. • Acted as a valuable interface between clients and the company. • Monitored sampling processes and quality control, ensuring client requirements were met. • Developed relations with National and International suppliers.

Education

Bachelor of Design, Leather Design, NiFT

Intermediate, Biology/Biological Sciences, General, B.N. College

Ashish Kumar

13+ years of work experience

Ashish’s AI Stack

Education