Rachel Mason

Storytelling + AI in Design: 10x Your Impact Attention footwear pros! 👟 Design isn't just about making something look good. It's about creating an experience, building a narrative, and shaping a connection with your audience. Today, AI is transforming how we do that. Join me at Stride USA 2025 this March in Portland where we will be talking about just that! I’ll personally be speaking on: 1. The Art of Storytelling in Design – How cohesive narratives build unshakable brand identity. 2. Leveraging AI for Prototyping – Cutting sample cycles, reducing waste, and making smarter decisions. We’ll also dive into: Digital Product Creation, Emerging Tech: xR, Scanning, Virtual Try-On, 3D Printing, Local Production & Sustainability Join a room full of innovators as we shape the future of design! Details here: https://lnkd.in/e-gHEwji. Want to make 2025 your breakthrough year? It starts with learning how to integrate tech + creativity seamlessly. See you there! PS: Repost this to get the word out to your network! ♻️

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3D printed footwear + fit. Am I getting it wrong? Working on a larger content piece about fit and would like to hear what I'm missing. Zellerfeld Shoe Company Inc. Cornelius Schmitt Joey Khamis --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign #3dprinting

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🚀 Revolutionizing Apparel Design with V3D & LEBA AI 🚀At Leba Design Studios, we’re transforming how high-performance apparel is designed and delivered. Our unique process combines advanced digital rendering (V3D) with LEBA AI, allowing us to compare digital prototypes with real-world samples to perfect every detail. Here’s why this approach is a game-changer for brands in the outdoor and activewear industry: 🌟 Precision and Visualization: Digital images allow us to visualize every aspect of the design accurately. Adjustments can be made early, ensuring that the final product matches our exact vision. ⏱️ Cost & Time Efficiency: By minimizing physical samples, we cut down on costs, save time, and reduce material waste—aligning with sustainable practices that matter to us and our clients. 🤝 Refined Collaboration: This process fosters collaboration across teams, bridging the gap between design intent and consumer expectations. LEBA AI ensures communication is clear and design accuracy is on point. 🔄 Market-Ready Designs: With realistic digital renderings, we can gauge customer reactions and fine-tune designs before full production, ensuring a perfect product-market fit. 🎨 Innovation without Boundaries: V3D and LEBA AI empower us to experiment with colors, materials, and unique design concepts, keeping us at the forefront of apparel innovation. As a disruptor in the ski and outdoor apparel industry, Leba Design Studios is leveraging technology to bring ideas to life faster, more sustainably, and with a level of precision that resonates in every stitch. 📩 If you’re a brand ready to push boundaries, connect with us to see how we can turn your vision into reality! Together, we can create apparel that’s as functional as it is inspiring. #ApparelDesign #OutdoorGear #Activewear #Innovation #SustainableFashion #LebaDesignStudios #LEBAAI #V3D #DigitalTransformation

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THE NEW ISSUE OF MY +©© NEWSLETTER JUST WENT OUT TODAY⚡️⚡️Read by top brands, investors & over 4,000 other professional designers & people who appreciate high art & design culture! Subscribe today @ www.TheCreativeCool.com

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What AI says…. Bernd Kroeber is a creative director, fashion designer, and wellness advocate known for his modern designs that cater to both men and women. Personal Style and Background • Appearance: Tall, fit, and muscular body. He has tattoos, a bangs haircut, a mustache, and no beard. • Wardrobe: Never wears suits, preferring a more casual and creative aesthetic. • Personality: Creative, modern, and focused on innovation in both fashion and wellness. Design Philosophy • Target Audience: Urban individuals aged 20-70, both male and female. His audience is sexually fluid, encompassing both gay and straight consumers. • Values: Prioritizes luxury, comfort, and modernity in his designs. • Key Products: Cashmere sweaters, among other luxury and comfort-focused clothing items. Professional Approach • Creative Process: Blends artistic expression with functional, trend-forward design. • Audience Connection: Designs for individuals who balance careers with personal expression, appealing to those seeking premium, versatile pieces. Lifestyle • Los Angeles Based: Lives on the West Coast, reflecting a blend of urban sophistication and laid-back creativity. • Pets: Has a black Pomeranian, adding a personal touch to his dynamic life. • Hobbies and Interests: Strongly values wellness and uses his role to advocate for a balanced, sustainable lifestyle. Notable Achievements • Awards: Winner of the Oscar de la Mode and a Teen Choice Award for Best Celebrity Collection. • Publications: His work has been featured in esteemed magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. • Sales Channels: Designs have been sold in the best high-end stores globally. Professional Vision • Innovation: Constantly looking to replace standard ideas with his unique designs, staying ahead of trends. • Spirituality in Design: Promotes a “spirit service” alongside his work, likely blending emotional resonance and deeper meaning into his creations.

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Does your brand have what it takes to stay relevant, or better yet desirable with todays consumer? It’s never too early to dig into the insights, test some theories, and challenge the obvious. Looking for growth opportunities? Look no further… At Finch Brands - we’ve got you covered! Insights. Stratgey. Design. With measurable results.🙌🏻

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As the holiday season approaches and things slow down, it’s the perfect time for creatives to pause, breathe, and reflect. 🌟 If you’ve been feeling the nudge to reconnect with your self-worth, align with your true purpose, or set intentions for a powerful 2025, I’d love to chat. 💫 I coach with empathy, intuition, and real-world experience—especially from my time in corporate America. If you're navigating career challenges, building confidence, or rediscovering your unique value, I would love to work with you! I have openings for 1:1 coaching, and if you’d like to do a quick 5-minute discovery call, let’s connect. Feel free to reach out. Here’s to a year of creativity, and growth ahead! ✨

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Creativity isn’t an afterthought. It’s the engine. Creativity isn’t something squeezed between deadlines. It’s the foundation of innovation. Here’s what I’ve learned as a footwear designer working with brands globally: Your team’s creative time is sacred. Block uninterrupted hours for it—just like any milestone meeting. Innovation doesn’t come from doing the same thing faster. Give your team room to test, fail, and refine. Empower every voice. ↳Creativity thrives when diverse perspectives are invited to the table. The best ideas often come from unexpected contributors. Lead with clarity and curiosity. ↳Leaders who ask “What’s possible?” inspire their teams to think bigger. Creativity follows vision. Want proof this works? ↳Companies who invest in creativity as a process—not a checkbox—report 3x higher growth rates in new product categories. The future belongs to leaders who prioritize creativity. 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. PS: Ready to unleash your team’s creative potential? Let’s talk. DM me.

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Innovation or Tradition? As both a designer and a shoe nerd, I’m constantly intrigued by the evolution of footwear design. When we think about the future, the question arises: how will shoes transform? Will we continue to tread the same paths, or will we embrace groundbreaking innovations in aesthetics, materials, and functionality? The potential for change is immense, from eco-friendly materials to cutting-edge technology that enhances performance and comfort. How do you envision the future of shoe design? Are we poised for a revolutionary shift, or will tradition guide our steps? #newwork #surfaceproject #design

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THE ELEMENT OF CHANCE | The Late to the Party Edition 🖤 Discovery: sref 2479032433 A touch of grayscale / blend of light + shadow / pattern ▪ a little less streamlined ▪ a little more fun ▪ a little more time in the day/night needed Better late than never. I began experimenting with MidJourney’s style reference random feature and found it to be a powerful tool for ideation. By adding an "element of chance" to image generation, it opens up a rabbit hole of creative possibilities. This feature lets you explore a surprising range of visual outputs, and its unpredictability helps you discover unique image styles that you might not encounter through standard text-to-image prompting. Add "--sref random" to the end of your prompt. Roll the dice 🎲 #midjourney #aishouldbefun

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Paul Russell discusses how luxury brands strategically design client interactions to evoke feelings of desirability by leveraging insights into the brain's functioning. Interestingly, fragrance experiences stimulate the same brain regions, enhancing the allure of these brands. Watch more insights from Paul here: https://lnkd.in/eGGcbcwz

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Cross pollination/Multitask It takes what it takes. If I am to multitask---my visuals can too. To illustrate: Here’s “BRUTUS” my Chevy G/10 from 669’s “Respect the Van” series. He was re-dressed and branded for another group’s application. “WHY?” They were looking for something different, yet they needed wiggle room within the budget. To accommodate those efforts, I offered up one of the RTV vans to play assist. No creating from scratch—the boat (in this case a van) was already built! Multitask/Cross pollination is not a water-down---- It’s stepping UP and stepping into possibilities and opportunities. In business, wiggle room and redirect are vital. Afterall, it’s more than a van in a visual—it’s a “team player” and a visual that will speak to their avatar audience. It also hit a price point that was favorable for all involved. That’s a WIN. You’d be amazed how many different scenarios happen within the studio. Every project has its own needs, and no request is (EVER) off the table. You don’t know unless you ask! ----------- I’m Scott Fisk---from Studio 669, I create visuals that knock DOWN the doors of “normal”, making YOUR audience scream for more. DM me “Go Time” -Let’s discuss getting YOUR brand next level. It’s a (FREE) no obligation conversation.   💥 If you enjoyed this post, give me a follow! And I’ll drop cool into your feed on the daily. That's a promise. #designwork #branding #strategy 

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Check out this article inside of The Voyage Denver to learn a bit more about Piña Designs, LLC and entrepreneurship!

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JUST HUSTLE | Olympic Apparel Reimagined with Midjourney ↖ What's the next wearable tech to take over the activewear market? ↖ How will it impact the Olympic stage 4 years from now? ▪ Aerodynamics: Textiles with microscopic surface patterns could reduce drag, potentially shaving crucial milliseconds off sprint times. ▪ Thermoregulation: Smart fabrics that adapt to body temperature and environmental conditions could help athletes maintain optimal performance in varying climates. ▪ Biofeedback: Integrated sensors could provide real-time data on muscle fatigue, heart rate, and oxygen levels, allowing athletes to fine-tune their efforts during competition. ▪ Energy return: Advanced materials might store and release kinetic energy with each movement, enhancing power output in explosive events like jumping or throwing. ▪ Injury prevention: Reactive fabrics could stiffen on impact, providing extra support to joints and muscles during high-stress moments. ▪ Customization: 3D-printed elements could offer personalized fit and support, tailored to each athlete's unique biomechanics. These visuals explore how next-gen materials, wearable tech, and avant-garde aesthetics could revolutionize athletic apparel on the world stage. Which design or wearable tech would you want to see in the next Olympics? #midjourney #futureofactivewear #olympicstyle

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Design is not the result. It's the process. Good Design can't happen without a good design process. https://lnkd.in/eyAHSqTf --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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1968 Jaguar 420 Amongst Jaguar’s post-war models, the 420 is perhaps the least known. Hardly surprising, really, as it was only on the market for two years and overshadowed by the Mark II, E-Type and even the Mark X/420G when new. Obscure as it was, the 420 was an important model for Jaguar, serving as a “proof of concept” for the XJ6 that would arrive in 1968 and go on to be one of the carmaker’s most successful models. You can trace the story of the 420 all the way back to the 2.4 saloon – retrospectively referred to as the Mark I - from 1955, which was Jaguar’s first post-war compact saloon. As most Jaguar aficionados would know, the Mark I led to the Mark II in 1959, with the S-Type arriving in 1963 as a third evolution of the concept. The 420, released in late-1966, took parts from all these predecessors, but added elements from the much larger Mark X, too The bluff appearance was inspired by the much larger Mark X, but added some features of its own. And despite the visual similarities, no body panels were shared between the Mark X and 420.

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Jaguar’s Rebrand: A Bold Move or a Misstep? Rebrands aren’t just about logos, they’re about redefining identity. Jaguar’s recent redesign embraces the minimalist and abstract trend of our times, signaling their shift toward an electric future. But the absence of cars (and jaguar logo mark) in their campaign has set the internet on fire, with reactions ranging from excitement to disgust. One thing is clear: Generation Z and Millennials are changing what luxury means. It’s less about flashy status symbols and more about real values and social impact. They don’t just buy products, they invest in purpose. Jaguar’s move reflects this shift, trying to align with an audience that values innovation over nostalgia. That said, I can’t help but feel skeptical about this trend. Minimalism and abstraction are beginning to make everything look the same. It feels like we’re entering an age of average, where designs are stripped of their soul and uniqueness. AI tools, powerful as they are, seem to be accelerating this shift, recycling the same feed they’re trained on. In French, we say “Il faut cultiver son jardin”—one must tend their garden. Jaguar’s rebrand might be a bold attempt to prune and plant for the future, but is it at the cost of losing what makes them special? What do you think? Does Jaguar’s rebrand inspire you, or does it leave you longing for something more distinctive? Video Credits: Jaguar

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