Design Director

Summary

The Design Director is the creative and strategic leader for the ready-to-wear (RTW) design function. This role sets the seasonal vision across multiple brands, manages and mentors a team of designers, and partners closely with merchandising, product development, and licensing to deliver commercially successful, brand-right collections. The Design Director combines elevated taste and craftsmanship with strong business acumen, ensuring every product reflects brand DNA while meeting customer, margin, and market objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Ideas & Trend Direction

• Define and communicate seasonal concepts, including color, fabric, print, silhouette, trims, and key design details for each brand or category.
• Lead the development of trend reports, seasonal narratives, and inspiration presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Guide designers in research, inspiration trips, and market shopping to identify relevant trends and translate them into brand-right ideas.
• Analyze consumer insights and the competitive landscape to inform design direction and identify whitespace opportunities.
• Travel domestically and internationally for inspiration, research, and market validation.

Design & Sketching

• Actively sketch and ideate alongside the team, modeling strong design thinking and creative problem-solving.
• Direct silhouette, fabric, and detail choices to ensure originality, relevance, and alignment with brand positioning and price architecture.
• Lead sketch reviews with designers and merchants to confirm alignment with brand principles, margin goals, and line plans.
• Present design concepts and sketches to licensing partners and key retail partners, clearly articulating the creative rationale.

Fabric & Materials

• Oversee the creation of fabric, color, and concept boards that reflect the seasonal story and brand DNA.
• Partner with product development to identify innovative materials, washes, and trims that differentiate the product and enhance perceived value.

Product Development Collaboration

• Ensure effective communication with product development so design intent, construction details, and quality standards are executed in samples.
• Collaborate with technical design to confirm all style requirements are accurate and maintained through fittings and approvals.
• Support the creation of proprietary product, trims, finishes, and washes that strengthen brand differentiation.
• Provide guidance on development ratios, assortment balance, and key item focus to build cohesive and commercially viable seasonal lines.
• Monitor and enforce calendar adherence for sample, fabric, color, and trim approvals.

Presentations & Cross-Functional Meetings

• Lead seasonal design presentations for leadership, licensing partners, and retailers.
• Clearly explain design vision, product strategy, and how collections support brand positioning and financial goals.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings to align on milestones, resolve issues, and maintain momentum across the design calendar.

Merchandising & Business Partnership

• Leverage sales, margin, and customer data to identify opportunities, inform design direction, and refine assortments.
• Partner with merchandising to ensure collections map to line plans, pricing strategy, and category growth objectives.
• Balance creativity with commercial viability, ensuring designs meet costing, quality, and aesthetic standards while remaining compelling and brand-right.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Senior Designers, Designers, and Assistant Designers across RTW categories.
• Allocate workload effectively and manage design workflow across multiple brands, categories, and seasons.
• Oversee the full product design lifecycle: research, mood boards, sketching, handoff to development, fittings, and line finalization.
• Foster a studio culture that promotes creativity, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, conduct performance evaluations, and support ongoing career development.
• Model strong time management and prioritization in a fast-paced, calendar-driven environment.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion by incorporating diverse perspectives into the design process and visual storytelling.
• Participate in relevant trainings and model inclusive behaviors within the studio and cross-functional teams.

Innovation & R&D

• Continuously explore new ideas, techniques, technologies, and processes to keep the product offering distinctive and competitive.
• Encourage experimentation and innovation within the design team while maintaining clear guardrails around brand identity and cost.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct the daily activities of the RTW design team, ensuring clarity on priorities, deadlines, and quality standards.
• Develop, coach, and evaluate team members, addressing performance issues and recognizing high performance.
• Create a collaborative environment where designers are empowered to contribute ideas and take ownership of categories.

Experience, Skills & Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design or equivalent professional experience.
• 10+ years of progressive design experience in RTW; multi-brand or multi-category experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience leading and developing a design team at a senior level.
• Demonstrated success partnering with merchandising, licensing, and retail partners.
• Expert skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign; strong CAD and hand-sketch capabilities.
• Deep knowledge of fabrics, construction, fit, and the end-to-end product development cycle.
• Refined aesthetic sensibility and exceptional attention to detail.
• Experience collaborating with global teams; ability to travel internationally several times per year.
• Ability to manage complex calendars, meet deadlines, and deliver to seasonal milestones.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across levels and functions.
• Comfort using data and analytics to inform design decisions and assortment strategies.
• Skilled at delegating effectively, planning ahead, and anticipating future resource and design needs.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with shifting priorities and multiple stakeholders.

Core Competencies

• Communication
• Relationship Building
• Attention to Detail
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Adaptability
• Time Management
• People Management
• Design Excellence
• Brand Insight
• Business Acumen
• Technical & Computer Skills