Title

Designer - Movement

Reports to

Senior Designer or Design Director

Supervises

Associate/Assistant Designers

Overview

The Free People Designer contributes to the overall trend and direction for designs each season for Free People apparel product categories. Actively participates in designing seasonal collections, supervises/mentors Associate/Assistant Designers to ensure that designs and resulting product are appropriate for the Free People customer.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Ability to develop partnerships with Buyers, Directors and Department heads.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate with partners in Merchandising, Production, and Free People
• Ability to successfully work in a team environment
• Ability to respond to business objectives with creative, innovative, and cost-effective design solutions
• Expert-level technical knowledge of Structured Wovens and/or Outerwear 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
• Ability to research and report on industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations approximately 9-12 months ahead of season
• Ability to recognize and accurately forecast fashion and cultural trends as they relate to the We The Free target customer
• Ability to sketch or to communicate design ideas via computer program.
• Ability to clearly communicate to overseas vendors.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design or a closely related field

Location

Philadelphia, PA

Travel

Some travel required.