About The Founder
Principal Consultant
Rosalinda Cruz is a retail strategist and creative advisor with extensive executive and entrepreneurial experience in sustainable apparel; brand experience; and operations.
Her strength in developing cultures of inclusivity and transparency stem from her expertise in aligning creative direction with business needs. Rosalinda did this most notably at the half-billion-dollar sustainable fashion brand, Eileen Fisher, where she led domestic and international in-store merchandising prior to founding The Asor Collective.
Since moving to North Carolina she has deepened her connection to domestic manufacturing and has rounded out her 20+ years of experience by working within the domestic supply chain. Rosalinda now brings her process-driven approach to support purpose driven neighborhood retailers, entrepreneurs and direct to consumer manufacturers.
Experience
Redress Raleigh, Raleigh NC
Member, Board of Directors
The Asor Collective, NYC & Raleigh
Principal Consultant
Eileen Fisher Inc., NYC
- Visual Merchandising Director – NYC
- East Coast Mid-West Visual Manager – NYC
- Retail Visual Coordinator – NYC
- Senior Visual Merchandiser – Boston, Ma
- In-Store Visual Merchandiser – Northampton, MA
Core Competencies
- Brand Experience
- Leadership & Culture
- Visual Merchandising
- Training & Development
- Strategic Planning
- Creative Operations
Skills
About Me
I’ve been in the industry since I was 15 years old. My career started at Steiger’s a family owned regional department store in New England. After that I went on to work at several small boutiques. I ended up at Eileen Fisher where I spent 17 years. I’m not sure when I exactly fell in love with Retail but at some point, I did. I LOVE the scrappy and tenacious nature of retail and being in the trenches … I love it’s its ability to bring people together. But more importantly I love the transformation that takes place and the escape it provides. People shop for all sorts of reasons… to escape a stressful day, body image or self-esteem issues. They shop to socialize and bond with friends or family. A good shopping experience creates an emotional connection to consumers. These are all the reasons I love retail.