ABOUT

Kristin Aytona is an Art Director with 10+ years of experience as a creative professional in Advertising and Marketing for global lifestyle brands with commercial work published across 80+ countries. She is a hands-on creative leader and strategic thinker skilled in delivering large-scale seasonal campaigns and branded content across multimedia platforms. Rooted in a holistic story-driven approach, she has proven to be able to work directly with stakeholders, partner with cross-functional departments, and foster a collaborative team environment towards a unified brand voice. In her off-time Kristin enjoys getting lost in museums, spending time with her loved ones including her dog Ninja, and chasing the sun as much as she can.

After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a concentration in Marketing from Towson University, Kristin continued her education in Design at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. The combined synergy of these disciplines have established an effective foundation throughout her career: Her journey began in the Creative Department at global advertising agency, Grey NY, supporting and learning from an award-winning team of Creative Directors, Copy Writers/Art Directors, and Producers before becoming a Junior Creative at digital boutique agency, Sub Rosa. With main clients such as PepsiCo, Mountain Dew, Estee Lauder, 3M, Pringles, and Dairy Queen, she turned her focus towards specializing in fashion and beauty where she could implement her agency experience in-house. During this time, she excelled as a Graphic Designer-turned-Senior Art Director for Brooks Brothers, L’Oréal/Kérastase Paris and Shu Uemura brands, and VF Corporation/Nautica and Kipling brands. Her tenure with the latter has stretched across a decade as both full-time and independent contractor, contributing to every season from SS10 through SS20. She takes pride in her professional endeavors and strives to continue elevating cohesive brand presence through the creativity of emerging advertising and marketing trends. She is also passionate about social and cultural responsibility which she incorporates in her professional work, including campaign collaborations such as Nautica x charity: water—a partnership which raised $3.3+ million—and contributing as an official business ambassador for the ASPCA®.

In 2015 Kristin co-founded WHOWAGWEAR™, a socially conscious apparel brand that brings cause art to life by celebrating dogs through an artistic, stylish, and humanitarian lens. The products support socially responsible and charitable initiatives — from ethical manufacturing processes to the donation of 20% of all sales — and combine quality materials, modern silhouettes, and one-of-a-kind artwork to bring fresh designs to the community and positive change to all. WHOWAGWEAR’s mission is simple: Make spirits smile, spread love + awareness, and most importantly transform lives in a positive way.

Kristin currently works at L’Oréal USA in the Professional Product Division as a Creative Lead/Senior Art Director for Pureology, Mizani and Redken, and is open to new and exciting opportunities where she can continue to leverage her expertise and build the business progression of an organization.

image by © pete thompson photography  

CLIENT BRANDS + AS SEEN IN

EXPERTISE + SKILLS

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP
Creative Strategy and Branding • Concept Development • On-Site Art Direction • Post-Production Management • Visual/Graphic Design
Video Storyboarding • Photography Styling • Brand Identity and Imagery • Content Creation • Product Development and Packaging

GLOBAL MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Print Media • TV/Broadcast • Film/Motion • Digital Marketing • Social Media and Mobile Platforms • E-commerce • In-store Retail • OOH • Licensing • PR/Editorial • Events
Project Management • Stakeholder Relations • Collaborative Partnerships • Mentorship • Social Responsibility Initiatives

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, XD, Photoshop, Illustrator • Presentation Software • Photography • Illustration • Production Mechanicals
(Basic) Video Editing • UX Design • Self-Publishing Platforms • Mobile Apps