Olivia Hughes Recruitment

Job Description:

This is a fantastic opportunity to join one of the UKs fastest growing womenswear fashion brands as a Womenswear Designer. The company is expanding as a result of its success to date and if you would like the opportunity to bring your passion for fashion to a place where you can make your mark and develop your career then this could be the right opportunity for you.

The key purpose of the role is to lead a large product area independently, alongside the Buying and Merchandising teams.

Key Responsibilities:
• Designing the day dresses and tops range across both jersey and woven, covering casual, smart casual and workwear.
• Fully understanding the analysis around how your area has and is currently performing, gaining full knowledge of its history to include best sellers, returns data and current trade and be fully up to date with the strategy for the department.
• Leading on research development across both woven and jersey dresses and tops as well as top line trend research that reflects the messages coming through trade and lessons learnt.
• Building up a strong knowledge of the customer to allow you to confidently source newness/design inspiration that is in line with the brand identity.
• Planning/developing newness independently from a range plan/shopping list to be able to build a strong, balanced and cohesive range.
• Identifying premium, on-trend fabrics across both woven and jersey that are in line with the brand identity as well as sitting within target price points.
• Work closely with our supply base to identify the right suppliers for new development and supporting them through the development process so we receive high quality first samples.
• Working closely with the Buyer on this product area to support them in trading the department by reacting to sales on a weekly basis and offering newness to further build on its success.
• Confidently presenting ideas in the planning meeting by talking through each design and reasons why this has been included in the range and sell each style to the Leadership team.
• Building up a strong knowledge of the print history of the brand, particularly across dresses and tops, so that, working with the print team, you can select and develop prints for your range that are balanced, commercial and reactive.
• Playing an active part in fit/buy sessions to achieve perfect fitting and flattering styles for the customer (alongside the Buyer and Garment Tech), taking onto account current and previous high and low returners and building knowledge of what is and isn’t working from a fit perspective.

What we’re looking for:
• Experience and success working at Designer level for other womenswear fashion brands.
• Experience working with jersey and woven fabric bases and suppliers.
• Excellent knowledge of trends from catwalk to high street and a good instinct for new emerging trends.
• Passion for a fast paced, high pressured and ever evolving environment.
• Someone who embraces change and is always looking for ways to improve how the Design team function and work together.
• Excellent CAD skills and be proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.