Overview

To contribute to the overall trend and direction for designs each season for Anthropologie apparel product categories. To actively participate in designing seasonal collections. To supervise Associate/ Assistant Designers to ensure that designs and resulting product are appropriate for the Anthropologie customer.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to overall trend and direction for each season, for all designs, labels and specific categories.
• Shop and observe street fashion several times a year. Take photos and purchase samples for inspiration.
• Work with Production Team to globally source, find fabrics and yarns that are within budgetary guidelines to develop.
• Collaborate with the Design Manager/Director and Buying team on a weekly basis to review emerging trends to chase in-season.
• Collaborate with the Designers & Design Manager/Director each season to develop conceptual direction for the total product assortment.
• Identify fabrics and yarns that are within budget guidelines (line plan) to develop into product. Collaborate with partners in Production to manage lead-time, minimum order requirements, and costing constraints.
• Design styles, develop or select trims, and identify colors for fabrics selected at the Raw Materials meeting.
• Present development samples and color palette for merchant review at Proto and Finalization Meetings.
• Work with Design Coordinator to create, update and maintain tech packs in PDM. Communicate fit and construction details to Technical Design department. Complete all technical sketches for domestic and overseas programs.
• Travel to factories for development and execution of programs.
• Manage weekly fittings.
• Develop and train Designers, and Assistant/ Associate Designers. Ensure training goals are set each review period and renewed regularly. Motivate and encourage them to be creative and to support your needs.

Qualifications

• The ability to recognize and accurately forecast fashion and cultural trends.
• Creative Vision: Have the vision to identify trends in their early stages and understand their impact to fashion, so we can be one step ahead for the aspirational customer. Have the expertise to take aspirational ideas, focusing on the key details and make them work for a broader audience.
• Ability to research and report on industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations approximately 9-12 months ahead of season. Have creative ideas that give Anthropologie a point of difference in the market without being too obscure.
• Ability to articulate ideas clearly and inspire. Effectively use Adobe Illustrator for the CADing of design work and presentations. Excellent communication skills to communicate ideas and inspirations to others and to interact with designers, buyers and other Home Office staff.
• Organizational skills necessary to manage: multiple tasks and projects, and complete them within deadlines. The ability to delegate and direct the daily activities of the assistants and associate designers and provide direction to the team.
• Comprehensive knowledge of apparel construction, including dying, silk screening, washing techniques and other treatments.
• Thorough understanding of manufacturing techniques and processes. Ability to travel to factories and make vendor/agent meetings productive.
• Personnel skills to motivate, lead, develop and coach people and the recognition that building a team is critical to the Company’s success. The ability to provide feedback and performance evaluation in accordance with Company guidelines with the goal of developing and promoting staff internally.
• The ability to develop partnerships with Buyers, Directors and Department heads.

Education

Bachelors Degree in Fashion Design

Experience Requirement

• 5-7 years in design
• Strong understanding of fashion trends and the Anthropologie customer
• Expert-level technical knowledge of apparel construction
• Expert-level knowledge of fabric and trims as well as strong relationships with resources
• Extensive knowledge of fabric treatments as well as wash and dye techniques
• Extensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques and processes