The Associate Designer is involved in the entire product design process including market research, inspiration board development, presentation, design, flat sketching, creating mock-ups, specing, sourcing, and fitting. The Associate Designer is responsible for managing design projects independently, and working collaboratively with upper management.
Position Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
- Receive information and Merch plan about delivery from the VP of Design
- Attend trade fairs, and shop the market for ideas.
- Ability to follow and understand the Merch plan and collect trend information, fabric, print, color, and trims to put initial concept boards together
- Present concept boards to the team: VP of Design, VP of Sales, Company Principal, and in case of licensed brands to their teams
- Upon approval of initial concepts, the ability to take direction from the meeting and create specific boards for requested deliveries that fulfill the Merch plan and capture the target customer and price points
- Do trim mock-ups before finalizing concepts
- CAD and/or hand color sketches for initial board presentations
- Partner with assistants who are assigned to help with any given project
- Partner with sourcing all fabric, trims, and any other components needed for delivery from reliable vendors in the appropriate part of the world for the correct pricing and minimums,
- After initial sign-off of delivery, work with sourcing to procure all necessary items for initial samples and duplicates with documented purchase orders.
- Flat sketch CAD adopted styles in the Illustrator program
- Mockup preliminary line sheets for meetings
- Set up body, fabric, and trim boards to help Sales edit and Product Managers keep track of fabrics, colors, prints, and trims
- Work with the Art Department to initiate all print components
- Be responsible for having the garment made promptly and approved or corrected on the model
- Work with the Graded patterns to develop markers for engineered designs
- Keep all sketchbooks and digital archives organized
- Provide style tracking chart and spec pack for patternmakers.
- Schedule and attend fittings with the VP of design, principal, or product manager.
- Style first protos and have new styles approved before proceeding to the final fit
- Make fit comments on all corrections and communicate to the overseas office with product managers
- Track the progress of samples with product managers and present fit-corrected garments at proto-fit meetings.
- Communicate all design revisions to the team.
- Digitally photograph and catalog style changes approved deliveries, and special make-ups as directed
- Review top-of-production with Product Managers and Patternmakers for any errors
- Maintain a library of fabrics, trims, artwork, and garments for future reference
Qualifications and Competencies:
- College Graduate, Fashion Design major a must
- Strong sense of style with the ability to transform abstract ideas into commercially viable garments and meaningful collections following timeline calendars
- Must be computer literate in Word and Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign a plus
- Must be able to illustrate fashion figures and flat sketch
- Strong sewing and pattern-making background a plus
- Strong work ethic
- Detail-oriented ability to easily switch gears and take direction
- Strong organizational, communication, and follow-up skills
- Team player and self-starter
- Sense of urgency and intuitive sense of priorities
Education and Experience:
- At least 2-3 years of design experience in swimwear or intimates.
- Bachelor's Degree, Fashion Design Major.