Diane Basile- Creative Stories

Mar 2017 – Jul 2024

Work
Experience

Ralph Lauren (RL), New York | Design Director Prints-Men’s Purple Label / Golf Polo / Children’s & Baby

Design Director Prints-Men’s Purple Label / Men’s RLX Golf -- Children’s & Baby

Instrumental in delivering comprehensive design solutions across three diverse Ralph Lauren brands and developing seasonal print concepts Purple Label, RLX Golf, and Children’s and Baby (Polo & Collection) to align each with the unique aesthetic and brand heritage of Ralph Lauren’s iconic portfolio. Improved competitive positioning and strengthened the brand’s foothold in the global market by generating print concepts that told cohesive stories aligned with Ralph Lauren's brand legacy, as well as responded to seasonal trends and shifts in retail competition. Drove innovation in print and pattern development by conceptualizing and executing original, novelty designs in collaboration with artists and product development teams.

Accomplished a 200% growth in men's print business revenue, increasing its share from 10% to 30% of the total men's category, by elevating print concepts across Polo, Purple Label, and RLX Golf. Maintained each brand’s distinct identity while leveraging market trends, contributing significantly to Ralph Lauren’s $6.5B men's business, with RLX Golf alone generating $52M in revenue.
Steered high-impact collaborations with Hoffman International Fabrics, Riley Sheehey, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup, and US Open to introduce the Ralph Lauren brand to new demographics while reinforcing the loyalty of core heritage customers.
Expanded Ralph Lauren’s market presence in children's fashion by creating whimsical and timeless print concepts for the Ralph Lauren Children’s and Baby collection. Delivered vintage-inspired prints that reinforced the RL aesthetic, with designs prominently featured on Ralph Lauren’s website, Instagram, and luxury platforms, such as Net-A-Porter, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The RL Children’s line generated $227M in revenue in 2023.
Directed the creative vision for Purple Label collections featured in global advertising campaigns, televised fashion shows, and international fashion magazines, which elevated Ralph Lauren’s global visibility, with mentions on the Instagram account and in the brand's internationally circulated campaigns.
Accelerated sales growth and adoption rates by implementing streamlined design processes and creating compelling presentations that secured buy-in from senior leadership, resulting in significant increases in revenue and market penetration.
Delivered 100% compliance with brand aesthetic and business needs by collaborating with senior leadership to address both design vision and commercial objectives, ensuring collections met customer demand and revenue targets.
Increased global brand visibility through designs featured in international campaigns on platforms (Instagram, Trendy Golf, Browns, Mr. Porter, and Net-a-Porter), leveraging partnerships with PGA ambassadors and global influencers.
Introduced process efficiencies that improved communication across three distinct design teams by overseeing the end-to-end development of prints, patterns, colorways, and fabric details, ensuring the timely and flawless execution of product lines.

Sept 2015 – Mar 2017

Baszko Consulting LLC, New York, NY Creative Consultant, Owner

Delivered tailored creative consulting for leading brands, such as Ralph Lauren, Nautica Women, and Adrianna Papell, to accurately translate their distinct brand aesthetics into compelling designs and print concepts that resonated with targeted markets. Drove impactful seasonal collections by aligning trend forecasting and color, print, and novelty development across top-tier brands, while ensuring timely delivery within tight seasonal deadlines.
Spearheaded design concepts from inception to production, as well as collaborated with multi-category design directors and cross-functional teams to enhance creative direction and streamline production pipelines.
Enhanced design and production efficiency at Adrianna Papell by eliminating redundancies, introducing innovative systems, and fostering cohesive teamwork among CAD designers, resulting in a unified creative process and optimized design outcomes.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Elevated brand identity by providing bespoke trend and print solutions, leveraging deep expertise in diverse brand aesthetics to deliver high-impact designs that aligned seamlessly with each brand’s unique vision.

Feb 2008 – May 2015

Talbots, New York, NY | Vice President of Creative Services

Ensured the seamless execution of cohesive, high-impact collections that aligned with brand vision and business objectives. Delivered innovative and brand-defining collections by managing $800k annual budget, meeting all creative and production milestones, while maintaining cost control, timely delivery, and the highest quality standards. Oversaw strategic trend forecasting and R&D, as well as developed proprietary, brand-appropriate concepts to maintain Talbots’ competitive edge in the women’s apparel market. Supervised and inspired 12 direct reports, assessed performance, identified skill gaps, evaluated training needs, and conducted training sessions to improve productivity and efficiency.

Established and led the Creative Services Department, as well as built a high-performing team of 12 managers and associates across Trend, Color, Print, Pattern, and CAD areas, to create a centralized creative hub that streamlined operations across all product categories, resulting in contributing 35% increase to overall profitability.
Unified cross-departmental design efforts by transforming independent design teams into a collaborative unit, which resulted in cohesive collections that balanced business needs with creative vision.
Accelerated product development timelines by refining processes across color, print, and pattern development, ensuring seamless execution from initial concept to bulk production.
Optimized CAD operations by advancing technology systems, training CAD artists, and integrating vintage and original artwork into production-ready designs that upheld Talbots’ aesthetic and met technical standards.
Headed successful transition during private equity acquisition and realigned the Creative Services team to meet the new business model's demands by rethinking processes, fostering collaboration with merchandising and buying teams, and balancing aesthetic integrity with commercial objectives.

Additional Experience: See Linked-in for complete history detail

Oct 2003 – Jan 2008

Sep 2000 – Sep 2003

Ann Taylor, New York, NY | Senior Director Color, Print & Novelty Design, CAD

Banana Republic, New York, NY | Textile Design Stylist

Education

Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – B.S. Degree in Fashion Design

My expertise stretches across the full spectrum of design, from concept creation to the intricacies of pattern development and brand-appropriate trends ensuring each collection resonates with a distinguished clientele.

Throughout my career, I have developed expertise in specialty and luxury apparel design, focusing on concept development, trend forecasting, print development, and textile innovation. I have crafted compelling narratives and visionary concepts for men's, women's, children's, and baby apparel, as well as active sports brands.

I have an extensive background in creative storytelling with brands rich in heritage and identity and I know how to grow and evolve them through that lens and to push boundaries while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic that resonates with diverse audiences.

My Philosophy has not only been about creating innovative and beautiful designs but also about fostering a creative and collaborative work environment. As a leader, my goal is always to serve and inspire. I take pride in mentoring multidisciplinary design teams and encouraging creative growth. My ability to provide clear, visionary direction while promoting teamwork has resulted in more cohesive collections, improved productivity, and a boost in employee morale. This focus on people and relationships is what sets my leadership style apart. I believe that design is not just about the final product but about the journey of collaboration that leads to success.