Sustainable footwear and apparel brand Allbirds Inc. has appointed Jason Israel as VP of design. Israel will report to Chief Design Officer Adrian Nyman.
Israel brings nearly two decades of design experience to Allbirds. He joins from French footwear brand Salomon, where he served as Global Creative Director. Prior to Salomon, Israel spent eight years at Specialized Bicycle Components, most recently as Head of Global Design, and five years at The North Face, where he was Global Creative Director of Performance.
Earlier in his career, Israel designed apparel, gloves, and bags for K2 Sports.
Nyman and Israel, along with the newly appointed colour and materials leader Ailsa Cordon-Michell, formerly of The North Face and Burberry, are focused on strengthening Allbirds’ product team and elevating its design culture, according to a press release from the San Francisco-based company.
“We are thrilled to have Jason join our design team at this pivotal time for Allbirds, when product and storytelling are paramount to our return to growth,” said Joe Vernachio, CEO of Allbirds. “He is already bringing a passion for beautiful and innovative design to the business. We look forward to benefiting from his expertise as we focus on our new product strategy that builds upon Allbirds’ core product franchises.”
Earlier this year, Allbirds announced it had signed definitive agreements with distributors in the Gulf countries and Southeast Asia, shifting from direct go-to-market to third-party distribution in these regions.
