Hi, I'm Rita, and this page is my portfolio.
Here, you’ll learn about my skills, what I have dedicated the past seven years to, and how I can be valuable to your team. Enjoy! :)
THE STORY OF AGIO BEGAN IN 2019 WITH THE IDEA OF CREATING A MINIMALIST HOMEWEAR BRAND WITH ITS OWN SMALL PRODUCTION FACILITY IN MOSCOW. LEAVING BEHIND A CAREER IN THE BIG 4, I HEADED TO GUANGZHOU TO STUDY FABRIC MARKETS AND MASTER A CRAFT THAT WAS COMPLETELY NEW TO ME.
AGIO MEANS "COMFORT" IN ITALIAN. IT IS CLOTHING FOR HOME, LEISURE, AND BEYOND: PIJAMAS FOR HOME AND PARTIES, MINI SLIP DRESSES, KNITWEAR WALKING SETS, AND LINEN CAPSULES.
- setting up the garment factory: selecting equipment for lightweight and medium-weight fabrics, organizing the workspace, and sourcing and hiring personnel
- product realization: sourcing fabrics and trims; developing designs, and preparing technical specifications (tech packs) for pattern makers and seamstresses; finding optimal solutions to ensure high-quality garment construction
- production & styling: producing and styling photoshoots, and managing influencer communications for brand promotion
- web development & operations: building the website, integrating POS systems and delivery services, and setting up split-payment and installment options (Buy Now, Pay Later services)
- e-commerce sales: Selling finished products on OZON and Wildberries, including creating product listings, managing FBS (Fulfillment by Seller) and FBO (Fulfillment by Operator) logistics, and driving product promotion
- SMM & support: managing the brand’s Instagram account and handling customer communications
I absolutely love dogs, and I am completely obsessed with my own. So, having my own workshop, it was only natural that I came up with the idea of making dog apparel.
It might seem that nothing could be simpler than producing pup outfits when you already have your own studio.
However, this turned out to be a challenge with an asterisk. There is no universally accepted sizing chart here; dogs are not just different, but even within a single breed, there can be an independent sizing range. Sourcing specialists who were ready to work and grow in this niche was quite an adventure, but I managed to do it.
EMIDOG hoodies became a bestseller on OZON, gathering over 400 positive reviews.
made of recycled plastic & rags
made of organic cotton & hemp
For instance, during the creation of the bag, pretty much everything went off-script: the seamstress fell ill and flew out of the country, and the cutter, for some reason, decided to cut the film in exactly the same layers as the fabric—completely ignoring my requests to approach the cutting process with more precision. And those were just the major mishaps.
A replacement seamstress was found overnight (and an excellent one at that!). Meanwhile, I ended up cutting every single film base by hand (100 pieces, just to give you an idea), ironed about a hundred meters of construction rags, and carefully trimmed every single label, patch, and handle. To some, this approach might seem inefficient, and partly it was, but for me, it was all about accountability and the "I can handle this" mindset.
In my projects, I didn't just manage and make decisions; I also did the cutting, installed hardware on garments, fixed equipment, mopped floors—and honestly, it would probably be easier to list the things I *didn't* do. This hands-on experience helps me deeply understand the processes from every angle, which means I can structure them correctly.
I met my future partner, Aigul (@dogmakach), through influencer collaborations to promote EmiDog outside of OZON.
Aigul was captivated by EmiDog's quality and craftsmanship, and she had a ton of ideas waiting to be brought to life. Thus, a single collaboration grew into an independent project called CHUDIKI, where I stepped in as a co-founder and helped turn those ideas into reality.
For humans and for dogs—equally shared. Matching companion hoodies and t-shirts, vibrant sweaters, and extraordinary bomber jackets.
When I reached a point where I felt the need to return to corporate employment, the choice didn't take long—though, to be fair, the same cannot be said about my attempts to knock on that coveted door :)
My introduction to 12STOREEZ happened long before, thanks to a gift card from someone very important and highly influential to me. It's hard to pin down the exact stage of the company back then, but the goldfish in a plastic bag and the first campaigns in Paris stuck firmly in my memory. Moreover, on my own entrepreneurial journey, I would tune into their YouTube blog and conquer the markets of Guangzhou for the first time following in the footsteps of Irina and Marina. By that time, my wardrobe already featured a small but dearly loved collection of items from the brand.
My ultimate career goal was a Product Manager position. However, my diverse and extensive background on an entrepreneurial scale was initially deemed not entirely relevant, so this exciting journey began with working with suppliers.
- end-to-end product creation: managing the product lifecycle from packaging to the store shelf: monitoring deadlines, quality, inventory turnover, and in-store visual representation
- assortment planning: analyzing historical sales data, and meeting targets for product volume, margin, and cost of goods sold (COGS)
- competitor & trend analysis: evaluating pricing, positioning, fabric compositions, and production technologies
- feedback loop management: analyzing and processing customer reviews as well as feedback from the company’s CEO, and finding ways to improve the product
- cross-functional bridge: streamlining communication between adjacent departments and finding compromises between the creative design intent and the product development team
