Apparel Designer Job at Santa Fe Apparel in New York

We're hiring a lead designer for our Junior/Missy apparel lines focusing on sportswear, outerwear and graphics. You will be responsible for creating and managing the line through the development cycle and helping to bring your creations to life once the production cycle has started! You will also be responsible for developing customer specific private label projects as needed for our Junior and Missy retail partners.

Responsibilities:

Development Cycle

• Thorough knowledge of the Junior and Missy apparel markets. Including the current trends in fabrics, sillhouttes, market leading brands, and how to combine those inspirations into a line while maintaining a unique brand identity.
• Manage and maintain T&A Calendar, Sku Count
• Merchandise the line to ensure seasonal development meets company deadlines and strategies for sales growth.
• Create style development plan for seasonal product consisting of outerwear, sportswear, and graphics in line with the brand’s core principles.
• Lead internal design meetings with sales and management to showcase new development and update the team on time line and issues throughout the development cycle.
• Create seasonal production direction through garment research, trend analysis and color palette creation.
• Develop a color palette seasonally to use across the product line.
• Create and develop designs through B&W sketches
• Color cad out all seasonal brand development and put together in the seasonal development deck for sales
• Create, outsource and manage the graphic and print development throughout the season. Including making factory ready artwork files; pitching pantones, creating artwork placements and resizing artwork to the correct scale.
• Coordinate with freelance designers outside the company on special projects, graphics and prints, etc.
• Review and approve lab dips, wash panels (as needed) and print strike offs for seasonal development, ensure color and execution follows as per the design direction.
• Work in PLM Webtech to upload style details, sketches, label placement, branding, bill of materials and color cads.
• Work with the technical team to pass off technical direction for development style detail callouts and specs in PLM.
• Work and follow up with overseas factories to develop new styles and source new qualities.
• Update the development chart weekly including sample status and etas for each development style
• Manage the print and graphic library electronically. Filing per development season and production season.
• File all fabric/trim cards into development binders seasonally.
• Pass off all styles to the assistant designer as they come in to be tagged correctly and passed off to the sales assistant to be photographed.
• Review all received garments with the sales team and pass off to them to put in the showroom.

Production Cycle

• Attend handoff meetings for orders; review the garments ordered, pass off color standards to the production manager, review artwork needed/pass off if ready prior to the meeting and review costing and garment changes.
• Work on production orders, updating and uploading the styles into PLM; sketches, style details, Bill of Materials (colorways), label placements, branding and hangtags.
• Create and manage the hangtag development library, all development styles need to have appropriate hangtags to follow per each garment’s specific features.
• Pass off production order details to the production manager and technical designer to input the grading, specs and garment callouts. Pass off any factory ready artwork files (graphics and prints) and fabric standards to follow per order.
• Attend all production fittings for the product through first fit to PP/TOP stage, advise fit comments to the tech to ensure the garment meets customer and brand fit requirements.
• Work with the production manager throughout the production cycle as they review fabric and trim approvals with you to ensure product maintains the same look and quality as the garment originally sold.

Requirements:

• 7+ Years Design Experience, (Outerwear and Sportswear experience a must)
• 3+ Years experience developing a full seasonal line
• Branded and Private label experience
• Current and relevant factory network for sourcing and development
• Graphic Experience
• Expert with adobe design software: Illustrator primarily, Photoshop secondary.
• PLM experience (a plus)
• Team Player and open to design changes/constructive feedback.
• A keen eye for detail and excellent follow through.
• Ability to manage and meet deadlines
• In office position 5 days

Benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401K
• Short and Long Term Disability
• Commuter