Technical Apparel Designer

Overview

As a Technical Designer, you will use your advanced technical design skills to interpret creative concept into viable development specs for each prototype in either 3D or 2D path with defined images, block reference, grade rules, construction, and measurement detail to generate accurate cost and sample prototypes that can be mass produced. You will work with design leadership and partner teams to ensure construction feasibility to meet price points and merchandising needs in accordance with the Timing & Action Calendar deadlines. You will have proven your ability to evaluate and provide feedback to achieve the ideal technical fit for the brand, gender and product categories assigned to obtain this position. You will conduct competitive product analysis by gathering and compiling competitor information and present your findings as well as be responsible to follow up on outcomes to this analysis. You will need to be able to liaison with key partner teams. This opportunity involves maintaining deep understanding of current fit and construction trends through travel, research & interaction with sales reps, their customers and the end users. Ability to accurately see color and provide comments for improvement is a key component of this role. In addition, participation in activities that will increase understanding and working knowledge of market is obligatory.

Main Responsibilities

• Owns fit development and leads fit sessions

• Work w/ Creative Design & Brand Teams to define fit / shop for & analyze competitor fits & present findings

• Provide construction options to enhance aesthetics &/or reduce costs/enable efficient production

- Develop both a physical & electronic block system - research fit models / forms / avatars

• Work with Country Managers to receive fits & to work out fit problems

• Document technical adjustments made to improve the garment

• Produce easily understood comparisons of our Fit to be used by Brand & Sales

• Proven ability to apply technical design skills in 2D or 3D execution, flat sketching, flat patterning, and garment construction

• Proven ability to generate tech pack in PDM system

• Solid ability to understand importance of blocks and to appropriately adjust specs and shape based on fabrication

• Able to facilitate color development by reviewing (in Spectrophotometer &/or Lightbox), commenting, logging and filing lab dip / bulk color / shade-bands / strike-offs / knit-downs / trims. Develop tracking tools as needed

Business Acumen:

• Demonstrated acumen and considered an internal expert for assigned product/brand

• Ability to create market appropriate product designs at key price points

• Adherence to the Timing & Action Calendars of multiple businesses that run parallel to each other

• Proven ability to identify trends and translate into market right product

• Communicate via e-mail daily both internally & externally

Tech Pack Builds:

• Develop technical sketches as needed

• Provide info for placement of fabrics and trims

• Add technical materials like interlinings, pellons, etc…

• Understand functionality of coding and maintain its integrity

• Responsible for overall completeness of information

• Track & communicate expectations on fits and sampling
  

Weekly Meetings:

• Responsible to bring up issues & potential solutions at the weekly Brand Management meetings

• Responsible to contribute to the agenda

• Responsible to bring relevant samples, material, etc. to these meetings as needed

Team Contribution:

• Ability to work independently and cooperatively in a diverse group

• Ability to identify & resolve opportunities within the organization for improvement.

• Able to take on extra workload to ease burden of entire team

• Able to trouble shoot technical design issues

• Responsible for analyzing existing systems, processes & tools to streamline the workload

Professionalism:

• Ability to conduct oneself in accordance to our Corporate Values, as well as to show accuracy and competence in one's daily workload.

• Ability to be a good representative of the company in high level meetings / situations

• Ability to maintain working area, samples, and tools in a way that is easily accessed by other team members and self

Work Ethic and Spirit:

• Ability to be a positive influence on the lab combined with the ability to execute

• Demonstrates a willingness to look beyond the job scope to further develop self and career

• Has demonstrated true commitment to the company thru daily contributions

Travel or conference to work on:

• Execute seasonal development of styles including retailing, trade shows, and education

• Review current production & make decisions as needed

• Work on future dev concepts to be shared w/ the Brand Management Teams

• Travel and research to maintain awareness of how technology effects the market and ability to execute job. Technology is looked at both in terms of product innovation (like garment construction) as well as software & tools to facilitate workload (as in patterning software or video conferencing).

• Present findings to the team.

May Also Include:

• Manage Label / Hangtag / Sub-Label, Packaging etc.… Trims

• May need to initiate development

• Enable art sends to vendors as well as advise partner teams regarding project

• Receive and comment on submits / log and file as necessary

• Perform mass updates in PDM

Minimum Qualifications

• 4-year degree in Fashion/Apparel or Related degree plus a min of 2 years’ experience or
• 2-year degree plus a minimum of 3 years’ experience
• Must be able to see color exceptionally well. Will need to take color test on-site as well as participate in color review as part of interview process
• Experience approving and commenting on lab dips, production bulk headends, strike-offs, knit-downs, and trim strongly preferred.
• Ability to interpret creative design concepts into prototypes across brands and genders
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator and Creative Suite programs
• Tech Packs (PDM/PLM) knowledge/working experience required
• 3D experience preferred (Browzwear a plus)
• Familiarity using AI