Matteo Bellentani
Bristol,UK
Summary
With 26 years of industry experience, this professional excels in brand identity development, product management, and footwear design. Renowned for a passion for fashion design and innovative footwear manufacturing solutions, they possess an expert understanding of materials and quality execution. A strong communicator with high-level presentation skills, adept at managing C-Level expectations and leading motivated teams. Demonstrates expertise in external asset management, social media strategy, and marketing campaign execution. Known for a deep knowledge of fashion and streetwear culture, with extensive industry connections. Career goals include driving impactful projects that blend creativity with strategic market insights.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work history
Global Creative Director - Head of CLARKS ORIGINALS BUSINESS UNIT (Product, Marketing, Design, PD)
CLARKS
Street, Somerset
2026.05 - Current
- Responsible for the Originals brand business unit: Product , Design and Marketing functions. Managing unit P&L, and be the strategic and creative leader for Clarks Originals brand.
Global Creative Director - Head of Product & Design Clarks Originals (dual role)
CLARKS
Street, Somerset
2023.04 - 2026.05
- Created creative direction for Clarks Originals and Clarks Main brand collections.
- Defined materials, seasonal colour palette, key styles and archive storytelling.
- Managed seasonal theme campaigns, PR support, collaborations and unified design code.
- Designed product lifecycle strategy from pinnacle to broad distribution segments.
- Launched new Clarks Originals apparel and accessories, expanding brand portfolio.
- Led product design and PD responsibilities for Clarks Originals brand.
- Created brand guidelines for consistent application across all platforms.
Head of Product and Design - Clarks Originals
CLARKS
Street, Somerset
2019.10 - 2023.04
- Developed heritage/archive strategy for iconic product curation and scaled iterations.
- Directed design-language transition to preserve brand perception across tiers.
- Led brand image and product narrative through marketing campaign production.
Senior Manager Footwear Development and Product Creation - ORIGINALS -STATEMENT (COLLABORATIONS)
ADIDAS AG
Herzogenaurach, DE
2016.10 - 2019.10
- Owned adidas footwear collaboration product creation across Originals and Performance lines.
Led end-to-end partner alignment through briefs, contracts, and milestone reviews.
Set up design workshops, scheduled archive visits, and product review meetings until sign off.
Product and Design Senior Manager footwear
GEOX s.p.a.
Montebelluna, Italy
2010.06 - 2014.09
- Led design and product management for casual and sneaker collections, focusing on women's and unisex special projects and collaborations. Managed team of designers and PMs, overseeing 3 external design agencies. Guided product development from initial concept to commercialization. Collaborated with external designers on special projects: CAMOTRAN x YONG BAE SEOK, GEOX x PATRICK COX, 50HOLES footwear and accessories concept.
Design and Development footwear Manager
GEOX s.p.a.
Montebelluna, IT
2006.05 - 2010.06
- Managed footwear design and development processes end-to-end from concept to samples.
- Coordinated collection preparation through salesman samples delivery and sales force presentations.
- Reported to Head of Sport/Casual Division Footwear
Footwear Designer
KRONOS s.p.a.
Padua, IT
2005.03 - 2005.09
- Won 'OFFICINA DI STILE' award by KRONOS Footwear and GQ Italy Academy in Padua (IT) for collaboration on special capsule collection of M/W basketball and football lifestyle sneakers with 10 international designers, followed by 1-year internship at Kronos Sport.
- Padua IT
Material cutter, patternmaker and designer assistant
EUROSTYLE s.p.a.
Brescia, IT
2001.09 - 2006.05
- Created material-cutting patterns for M/W shoe lasts using paper sketches.
- Produced last designs and sketched outsoles for in-house sampling.
- Selected materials, wrote specification sheets, and drafted paper patterns.
Education
Art and Decoration - Drawing and Decoration
ISTITUTO STATALE D'ARTE
Mantova, IT 2001.01 -
Patternmaking and Design - CAD, Footwear Design and 3D Footwear Design
ARS SUTORIA INTERNATIONAL
Milan, IT 2003.01 -
Skills
- 26 years working in the industry : brand identity development, product management, footwear design, product development, seasonal creative direction and marketing plan across all channels
- Highly expert and passionated in fashion design and footwear manufacturing solutions, innovative mindset
- Expert in materials and executions Quality seeker
- One Team mindset: used to work in wider team and able to deal with external and internal stakeholders to reach a common goal
- High communication skills: able to discuss and manage expectations at C-Level / Board Great presentation skills to wide audiences, sales forces, key accounts
- Able to work under pressure and tight fashion timelines, lateral thinking to find solutions to make things happen
- Able to build and maintain a motivated and accountable team
- Expert on external assets managements, collaboration partners, design freelances, creative agencies, media outlets
- High-value project management
- Social media strategy
- Marketing campaign management
- Budgets management
- Footwear and apparel connoisseur and avid collector Strong knowledge of the fashion and streetwear culture and sub-cultures, with many connections in the industry Love for iconic and classic brands culturally relevant Always seeking for new emerging interesting brands and obsessed by consumer trends
Written/Spoken Languages
Italian (main)
English (fluent)
Disclaimer
I authorise the use of my personal data for HR processes.
Timeline
Global Creative Director - Head of CLARKS ORIGINALS BUSINESS UNIT (Product, Marketing, Design, PD)
CLARKS
2026.05 - Current
Global Creative Director - Head of Product & Design Clarks Originals (dual role)
CLARKS
2023.04 - 2026.05
Head of Product and Design - Clarks Originals
CLARKS
2019.10 - 2023.04
Senior Manager Footwear Development and Product Creation - ORIGINALS -STATEMENT (COLLABORATIONS)
ADIDAS AG
2016.10 - 2019.10
Product and Design Senior Manager footwear
GEOX s.p.a.
2010.06 - 2014.09
Design and Development footwear Manager
GEOX s.p.a.
2006.05 - 2010.06
Footwear Designer
KRONOS s.p.a.
2005.03 - 2005.09
Patternmaking and Design - CAD, Footwear Design and 3D Footwear Design
ARS SUTORIA INTERNATIONAL
2003.01 -
Material cutter, patternmaker and designer assistant
EUROSTYLE s.p.a.
2001.09 - 2006.05
Art and Decoration - Drawing and Decoration
ISTITUTO STATALE D'ARTE
2001.01 -