Senior Designer - Apparel & Accessories

Since its launch in Cleator, England in1938, Kangol has always been a colorful, bold, and optimistic global headwear brand with some presence in other categories. Today, the focus is to develop a global lifestyle brand looking to relaunch and expand its categories offering, delivering seasonal collections of headwear and other accessories, bags, apparel and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kangol offers a distinctive point of view and an exciting opportunity to be part of this renewed focus under new leadership.

Kangol LLC is part of the Bollman Hat Company, dedicated to quality craftsmanship with the oldest operating hat factory in America since 1868.

OVERVIEW:

The role of the Creative Team is to develop a global lifestyle brand by expanding into new categories. Utilizing ‘one global brand, one focus’ as the goal, the Senior Designer’s primary focus is the design and management of ‘in house’ categories related to apparel and accessories, and overseeing designers or freelancers contributing to the collections as well (not including headwear). This person will become a key member of a small team and will have much opportunity to contribute to the brand’s overall aesthetic and growth.

This candidate is in tune with youth and pop culture and constantly extracts insight from market trends, online market behavior, social communities, and current culture to fuel design. This person handles heavy seasonal workloads confidently and independently, developing commercial products, special projects and collaborations. This person is a strong team player and self starter and is comfortable managing various categories and timelines. Ultimately, the Senior Designer- Apparel and Accessories is a leader and partner in driving best-in-class results.

This is an exciting opportunity to bring fresh and innovative ideas to life. This individual will design and develop collections reflective of the brand’s renewed aesthetic, brand vision and consumer insights, meeting all critical milestones and overall strategic brand goals.

This successful individual will leverage their proficiency in design to...

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Achieve commercial yet thoughtful and progressive collections for main range apparel and other categories.
2. Work with Senior Designer- Headwear to develop trend boards to support the design and development of each collection.
3. Participate in and contribute to the creative department’s strategic development and direction particularly as it relates to product and brand development.
4. Maintain an intimate knowledge of ongoing cultural and fashion trends which relate to relevant markets. Provide input to translate those trends into successful products.
5. Comfortably present to various stakeholders on a seasonal basis for Sales Conferences, Line Closings, Licensing Summits.
6. Occasional development of ancillary or special items for marketing or ecomm exclusives.
7. Develop and manage design timelines, design files and milestones for all categories
8. Liaise with the Global Creative Director to execute strategic direction and branding for product, ideate for special projects, and work to have cohesive offering sitting alongside the anchor category, headwear.
9. Design or supervise designer to create on trend, brand-appropriate, price-appropriate collections and special makeups for each brand.
10. Work closely with the Product Manager to input all aspects of product and timing into a Line List.
11. All Full CADs/tech packs/design/color palettes/mood boards to be generated by Senior Designer. There is no Design Assistant at this time.
12. Work closely with the Product Manager to develop and ensure on-time delivery of Prototype round samples, Production Prototypes, Sales Samples. Management of vendors with ordering of fabrics, lab dips, components, approvals, minimums, costing etc.
13. Travel overseas to work with apparel Product Manager in Hong Kong. Seasonal travel to Asia is required.
14. Adhere to Range Plan Development guidelines and costing requirements.
15. Work with and influence other departments and/or other designers to resolve issues involving technical specs, sourcing, or any component regarding product.
16. Adhere to departmental budgets and parameters.

**Please note this Job Description does not give an exhaustive list of duties.

QUALIFICATIONS:

· Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design

· Previous experience working for a brand in the streetwear/premium sportswear genre a plus

· Five years of experience working as Head Designer or Design Director

· Knit design experience a plus

· Experience traveling to and working with overseas factories

· Full working knowledge of Adobe Suite

· Full ability to generate all CADS, tech packs, branding notes, mood boards, color palettes

· Excellent time management and interpersonal skills

· Strong fashion aesthetics and attunement to market fluctuation and trends

· Experience working with Blue Cherry and PLM a plus.

In addition to the above traits, candidates must have the following:

• US Work Authorization
• Ability to navigate stairs/stairwells to get to job location(s)
• Access to reliable transportation
• Ability to work with or near wool material and products
• Ability to work in environments that can become extremely hot/humid
• A passion to do things right is a MUST!