Headline

I build brands from zero to market — product, tech, brand & D2C | Founder 92 Activewear | Design Lead @ How Iconic

About

I build brands from zero to market. Over 9+ years I've taken products from a sketch to a shelf — across activewear, performance, innerwear, and lifestyle — owning the full arc: product architecture, fabric technology, brand identity, and go-to-market. Most recently I built 92 Activewear (92.zone) from scratch: proprietary fabric tech, product line, brand system, and a D2C launch. Before that I led design strategy for Essdee, a 30-year heritage brand with 3,500+ retail stores, and cut my teeth at Page Industries (Jockey India's licensee). What I've done: • Built 92 Activewear end to end — product, proprietary fabric tech, brand identity, D2C • Delivered 600+ designs across 6 seasons at Essdee, leading a team of 8 • Co-founded How Iconic — an AI-powered brand identity platform • B.Des, Knitwear Design — NIFT Bengaluru How I work: product-first, obsessed with fit and fabric, and equally comfortable in a tech pack, a brand deck, or a P&L conversation. I'm open to Head of Brand / Head of Product / Design Leadership roles in activewear, sportswear, fashion, and D2C. Let's talk — DM me or reach me at nithin.nithin6@gmail.com

Location

Greater Bengaluru Area

AI stack

antigravity

claude code

claude

elevenlabs

grok

openclaw

Work experience

Co-Founder & Design Lead (Apparel & Product) at How Iconic Design Studio, Dec 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 11 mos, Bengaluru, Co-Founder & Design Lead (Apparel & Product) How Iconic Design Studio | Dec 2023 – Present • Lead end-to-end apparel and product development for activewear, performance, and lifestyle brands. • Own design strategy, seasonal roadmap, and range architecture aligned with business goals. • Drive concept development, mood boards, silhouette ideation, graphics, and color stories across core, core+ and fashion tiers. • Work closely with technical fabrics, trims, and construction to deliver functional, performance-led products. • Create detailed linesheets and tech packs; manage design execution through sampling and production handoff. • Collaborate cross-functionally with sourcing, production, and merchandising teams to ensure on-time delivery.

Head of Brand at Essdee, Feb 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 9 mos, On-site, Head of Brand & Product Development Lead brand strategy, product development, and category planning across Essdee, Essdee Junior, and new business initiatives. Partner closely with sales, merchandising, sourcing, production, finance, and marketing teams to align consumer needs with business objectives. Built and evolved multiple brands and categories, creating cohesive identities across products, packaging, communication, and retail touchpoints. Defined brand positioning, storytelling frameworks, and go-to-market strategies to strengthen market relevance and long-term brand equity. Led end-to-end product development, from consumer insights and trend forecasting to design, sourcing, sampling, and launch. Owned seasonal and annual category planning, balancing creativity with commercial objectives. Conducted extensive retailer and consumer immersion across India to identify unmet needs, regional preferences, pricing dynamics, and growth opportunities. Worked directly with dealers, agents, and retail partners to gather market insights and drive product and communication decisions. Created narratives and campaigns that improved consistency, engagement, and brand perception. Collaborated across design, merchandising, sourcing, production, sales, and finance functions to ensure seamless execution and alignment. Introduced systems and processes that transformed fragmented brand experiences into scalable and consistent ecosystems. Led trend research, competitive analysis, and strategic roadmaps for category expansion and future growth. Built and mentored creative teams while maintaining high standards across all consumer touchpoints. Planned and executed annual conferences, presentations, and communication initiatives for dealers, distributors, and stakeholders. Represented the voice of the consumer in key business decisions, combining market understanding with product innovation to create brands built on trust, relevance, and long-term growth.

Associate Founder at 92 Activewear, Jul 2024 - Jul 2026 · 2 yrs 1 mo, Built 92 with the ambition of creating a world-class activewear brand from India in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing fitness markets. Defined the brand vision, positioning, identity, communication framework, and long-term roadmap. Personally led branding, storytelling, packaging, content, product strategy, and go-to-market planning. Built and scaled a 15-member team and helped grow the business to ₹2 Cr+ in revenue. Conducted extensive global research and collaborated with suppliers and manufacturing partners across Taiwan, China, and India. Developed premium activewear and compression categories, introducing performance-focused innovations including compression technologies. Created integrated brand experiences across products, packaging, campaigns, and digital touchpoints. Established systems and processes to support sustainable growth and long-term brand equity.

Graphic Manager at Page Industries Ltd, May 2022 - Jan 2023 · 9 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Graphic Manager Page Industries Ltd | May 2022 – Jan 2023 • Led graphic direction for high-volume apparel programs in a structured retail environment. • Worked closely with apparel designers to integrate graphics with garment construction and performance requirements. • Contributed to seasonal collections with strong focus on brand consistency and commercial performance. • Gained exposure to large-scale development calendars, approvals, and production workflows.

Fashion Design Manager at t-base, Jan 2021 - Jan 2022 · 1 yr 1 mo, Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India, Fashion Designer In Leather | Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 • Designed apparel with strong focus on material behavior, fit, construction, and detailing. • Took products from concept to sample stage in close collaboration with production teams. • Built hands-on understanding of fabric performance and garment engineering.

Sr designer at Gillwood, Jan 2019 - Nov 2019 · 10 mo, Bengluru

Sr designer at Blaze clothing private limited, Jun 2017 - Dec 2018 · 1 y 6 mo, Chennai

Intern at galleri5, Jun 2015 - Jun 2016 · 1 y, Banglore

Education

bachelor of design, Knitwear Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)

Bachelor of Design, knitwear, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Banglore

Public links

nithingowda.xyz: https://www.nithingowda.xyz/