Free People Assistant Designer Director - Femmes Knit Tops - Free People

Free People is looking for a Senior Designer to lead the development process of design project supporting Femmes Knits category.  The Free People Femme Knits class is about finding the perfect balance between being wearable and also designing some special standout pieces, with the sense of uniqueness that is crucial to Free People.  The Senior Designer will lead the design creation, development, and execution of own brand product appropriate for Free People knits tops with a focus on Femmes sensibilities.

The Senior Designer actively participates in designing seasonal collections, sewing/ mocking original ideas for key meetings, and supports the team to ensure that designs and resulting product are cohesive and appropriate for the Free People customer. The Senior Designer will also oversee one Assistant Designer.

• The Senior Designer will lead the design creation, development, and execution of own brand product appropriate for Free People knits tops with a focus on Femmes sensibilities.
• Ability to recognize and accurately forecast fashion and cultural trends and understand how they relate to the Free People customer.
• Respond to business objectives with creative, innovative, and cost-effective design solutions.
• Attend all fittings and support the Team through problem solving fit issues and communicating.
• Support seasonal development calendar for both Retail & Wholesale deliveries.
• Manage development and execution of all design packages alongside Assistant Designer and participate in all follow-up communication related to each package in partnership with the Design Coordinator & Product Development team.
• Strong initiative and point of view on design research and staying up to date with industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations that can relate to the Free People target customer.
• Execute original design ideas through draped & sewn mocks to communicate design’s vision in key meetings.

• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design with 8-10 years or commessurate experience preferred
• Creative & Trend Vision:
  • Demonstrated strength in pushing new ideas, silhouettes, and design concepts
  • Demonstrate 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. 
  • Expertise in taking 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. 
• Knits knowledge:
  • Strong understanding for knits fabrications, washes and finishes and technical ability to apply that knowledge on to fits
  • Ability to drape, mock and sewing skills within Knits category
• Excellent hand sketching and CAD skill in Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator
• Excellent communication skills to communicate ideas and inspirations to others and to interact with Designers, Buyers and other Cross Functional partners.
• Strong sense of organizational skills as well as passionate of fast speed environment
• Some experience with managing 1-2 team members would be added value.
• Proficient in Microsoft platforms (Excel, Powerpoint, Word)
• Ability to be on-site 4-5 days a week Philadelphia, PA

#LI-JA1

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits

URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.