Scott Castillo
Design Director
With 20 years of experience in design and product development, I bring a mix of creativity, strategy, and hands-on knowledge to every project. Certified in Project Management and Lean Six Sigma, I balance big ideas with practical execution — keeping a close eye on cost, machinery, and construction methods so concepts translate into reality.
I've built my career on spotting trends early, shaping concepts that connect with customers, and making sure the details are as strong as the vision. As a leader, I believe education is foundational — training teams patiently, asking questions freely, and learning together builds stronger results over the long run.
Balances design vision with operational discipline — delivers market-ready products while reducing cost and strengthening supplier partnerships.
Builds strong teams and collaborative cultures that encourage innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Textiles, knitting, weaving, and global manufacturing — informs decisions across the entire product lifecycle.
Leadership & Community
Employee Engagement Committee
Designed and championed programs that improve workplace culture and team connection at Serta Simmons.
Mental & Physical Health ERG
Built initiatives supporting employee wellbeing — bringing the same care to people that I bring to products.
Workload Solutions Taskforce
Surfaced workload pressures across the team and built interventions that broke down barriers and gave people room to do their best work.
GOALs Team
Drove accountability and workflow transparency around yearly SMART goals and measurable KPIs across the organization.
Experience
Serta Simmons Bedding
Promoted from Senior Manager to Director, April 2025
- Established visual brand language guides standardizing aesthetics across the brand portfolio.
- Expanded in-house design capabilities — reduced external agency reliance, strengthened internal creative control.
- Drove supplier-owned material development, reducing internal costs while deepening vendor collaboration.
- Led retail-driven costing strategy — products developed at the right cost for their channel.
- Built and mentored a designer team rooted in trust, accountability, and professional growth.
Carter's Inc.
Brand Portfolio: Child of Mine for Walmart · OshKosh Boys Playwear · Baby B'Gosh
- Directed product lifecycle management from concept through production and delivery.
- Led overseas factory and vendor communication across Asia — costing, material development, QA.
- Held seasonal launch schedules and development timelines consistently on track.
- Launched internal improvement initiatives — Workload Solutions Taskforce and GOALs Team — improving accountability and workflow transparency.
- Built and mentored a small team responsible for development execution and operational coordination.
Chico's FAS
- Established in-house design capability — shifted business from vendor-driven concepts to original internal designs.
- Managed global vendor relationships across North America and Asia; traveled extensively for trend research, sourcing, and factory onboarding.
- Implemented faster sourcing workflows and production timelines.
- Launched an internship program as a long-term design talent pipeline.
Categories: Jewelry · Footwear · Handbags · Belts · Hosiery · Cold Weather · Home Accessories
LA Foundations
- Pre-Production Manager, Bailey Blue Clothing (2010–2011) — Oversaw local vendor and mill production; partnered with Technical Design, QA, Pattern & Sewing, Design, and in-house manufacturing.
- Associate Technical Designer (Knits), Clothing For Modern Times, Ltd. (2008–2010) — Owned creation and validation of technical specifications for knits and sweaters.
- Assistant Technical Designer, Filati (2006–2007) — Created and verified technical specifications for knits.
Capabilities
Design Leadership
- Trend Forecasting & Aesthetic Direction
- Product Development & Lifecycle Management
- Global Sourcing & Vendor Partnerships
- Cost Engineering & Margin Optimization
- Retail-Driven Product Strategy
Operations & Systems
- FlexPLM
- Anaplan
- Smartsheets
- Airtable
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Microsoft Office Suite & Teams
Deep Expertise
- Textile manufacturing — knitting & weaving
- Overseas manufacturing & factory development
- Cross-functional leadership across design, merchandising, sourcing, and operations
- AI tools (Claude, Copilot, ChatGPT) to accelerate workflows and reduce manual lift
Education & Certifications
Education
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM)
Lane Community College
Certifications
Coursera
Emory University
Arsutoria School