PROFILE

ABOUT


HEAD OF DESIGN & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
FASHION DESIGN - CREATIVE DIRECTION - LONDON

mikkelkunze10@gmail.com

I am a London-based Head of Design and Product Development working across fashion design, technical development, creative direction and brand identity.

Born and raised in Denmark, I began my career between design education and hands-on industry experience, including working at 20+ shows at Copenhagen Fashion Week. My first professional role was at the avant-garde luxury brand Barbara I Gongini, where my interest in both the creative and technical sides of fashion began to merge.

In 2017, I moved to London to expand my perspective and develop my own design language. Alongside my studies, I built 1COQ92 (Incognito), a technical streetwear project based on anonymity, counter-surveillance and identity. The project later won Collection of the Year, marking a defining moment in my development as both a designer and product developer.

Since then, my work has moved across commercial streetwear, luxury outerwear and founder-led brand development, including roles with Unknown London, Jaded London and Karl Donoghue. At Karl Donoghue, I developed specialist experience in leather, shearling, knitwear, accessories and international manufacturing, working closely with factories, mills and specialist suppliers across Europe and Japan.

I am currently Head of Design and Development at Forgotten Tribes, where I lead product direction, fit, graphics, print, packaging, campaign imagery and brand identity. My role focuses on moving the brand from off-the-shelf sourcing towards fully designed and developed collections with a clearer lifestyle identity.

Across all projects, my focus is on creating products with purpose: strong identity, considered innovative construction, material integrity and a clear connection between concept, craft and customer.

Black-and-white portrait of Fashion Designer Mikkel Kunze wearing a black beanie and jacket against a plain background.

mikkelkunze10@gmail.com

Contact

Head of Design & Product Development

Forgotten Tribes · London, UK
  • Lead design and product development across womenswear, from seasonal direction and range planning through sampling, fittings, supplier reviews and production sign-off. Moved the brand from predominantly sourced product towards original collections, recruiting a trusted pattern cutter, we significantly reduced returns on new product. I also shape campaign imagery and wider brand direction to keep product and image coherent.

Senior Designer & Product Developer

Karl Donoghue · London, UK

Promoted from Assistant Designer / Product Developer → Designer & Product Developer → Senior Designer & Product Developer

  • Worked closely with the Creative Director across shearling, leather, woven outerwear and cashmere knitwear, leading product from design and technical specification through sampling, fittings and production approval. Worked directly with specialist makers, mills and tanneries across the UK, Europe and Asia, including developing several shearling products that carried across multiple consecutive collections.

CAD Designer – Technical Development

Unknown London · London, UK · Freelance
  • Created a standardised tech-pack system and seasonal line sheets, improving factory communication, range review and wholesale presentation.

Co-Founder & Designer

1COQ92 (Incognito) · London, UK
  • Co-founded an independent technical streetwear label, shaping design, development and visual identity across capsule drops and runway collections in Copenhagen and London.

Garment Technologist

Safiyaa · London, UK · Freelance
  • Redesigned the tech-pack template and translated fit-session feedback into clear, production-ready technical documentation.

Production Assistant

Nicklas Kun · Copenhagen, Denmark · Freelance
  • Supported pattern making, toile construction, quality control, supplier coordination and production planning.

Production Intern

Barbara I Gongini · Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Worked under the Head of Production on tech packs, coding systems, factory communication, toiles and leather-accessory development for manufacture in Portugal.
1st Class BA (Hons) Fashion & Textiles
University of West London, London
AP Graduate Diploma in Fashion Design
Copenhagen Academy of Fashion Design, Copenhagen
Diploma in Classical Illustration & Traditional Techniques
Academy of Design Illustration & Visual Innovation, Copenhagen
Collection & brand strategy
Seasonal direction, customer and market research, range architecture, critical paths and cross-functional decision-making.
Technical design & product development
Tech packs, fittings, pattern knowledge, CMT and fully factored production, quality control and production sign-off.
Specialist materials & categories
Womenswear, menswear, outerwear and accessories across leather, shearling, cashmere knitwear, wool, knitted and woven materials.
Creative direction & visual identity
Campaign direction, lookbooks, line sheets, graphics, print, packaging and coherent brand communication.
Supplier & production management
Tanneries, mills, specialist makers and factories across the UK, Europe and Asia; sampling, factory visits and delivery.
Adobe Creative Suite & drawing
15+ years in Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign, supported by classical illustration and traditional hand-drawing training.
Danish – Native English – Fluent Norwegian – Basic proficiency Swedish – Basic proficiency