Art Director

Retrokid; Ajax; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Retrokid, a leading pop culture brand in North America, is looking for an Art Director to lead product design and creative vision. This role involves managing the design department, ensuring high-quality outputs that align with brand identity, while collaborating closely with other teams. Ideal candidates will have a deep understanding of the fashion industry and a passion for North American pop culture.

Benefits

Employee discounts on products

Monthly cell phone compensation

Paid vacation and sick days

Flexible hours

Opportunities for personal and professional development

Qualifications

• 4-5 years’ experience as an Art Director focused on fashion and apparel.
• Experience with licensed brands/studios in film/tv.
• Experience in eCommerce or retail environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop design concepts and final creative artwork for products.
• Oversee projects from initial concept through to production.
• Collaborate with stakeholders for visual strategy and direction.

Skills

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Creative thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design, Fashion, or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

MS Office

Job description

Full-time, in-office/remote hybrid

$90,000 annually

Company Description:

Founded in 2019, Retrokid has quickly become one of North America’s fastest growing pop culture brands celebrating childhood memories, forgotten favourites, authentic collaborations, timeless designs, original products, and quality apparel.

Partnering with some of the industry’s biggest studios, Retrokid has seen incredible success merchandising classic brands including Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Flintstones, and has become the leading partner to re-establish forgotten brands like The Big Comfy Couch, Nanalan, and Arthur.

With a focus on elevating streetwear through premium apparel and accessories, Retrokid is poised to change the landscape with expansion into larger studio collaborations, live events, extended product lines, and one of a kind pop-up experiences.

Job Description:

As our Art Director, you will be responsible for conceptualizing and designing a range of products, including apparel, accessories, and limited collectibles. Working directly with the CEO, you will lead the creative vision and brand identity for our collections, ensuring designs align with the IPs guidelines while staying ahead of production schedule. You will collaborate closely with our license studios and external partners to submit and audit approvals, implement revisions and brand assurance, and ensure that every design/product meets the highest quality standards. Additionally, you'll create/manage design consistency and philosophy across all products and SKUs, ensuring our brand voice and aesthetic are represented cohesively throughout the entire product lifecycle.

The Art Director will manage the design department, ensuring all product and marketing requirements are delivered on time, on budget and on brand. The right candidate has experience in apparel design and a solid understand of the printing process and production techniques and will be technically savvy enough to ensure our supply partners receive the correct art files, specifications, and creative assets ready to print.

At Retrokid, we bring passion and beloved memories to every brand we work with. It’s equally important that our staff live and breathe our industry, meaning a deep understanding of North American pop culture and nostalgia, is of vital importance to this role.

Responsibilities:

• Develop all design concepts and final creative artwork for apparel collections, accessories, collectibles, and other consumer branded/licensed products.
• Champion the entire design workflow implementing new processes and structure to improve and stabilize efficiencies.
• Design new illustrations and concepts for apparel, print, and packaging.
• Collaborate with the CEO and stakeholders to ideate and shape overall visual strategies and creative direction for all products.
• Work with product and marketing teams to ensure project timelines are upheld.
• Participate in studio meetings, presenting ideas and leading discussions around creative solutions and branded assets.
• Oversee projects from initial concept through to production, ensuring high standards of design, QA and overall execution.
• Maintain strong understanding of design principles and current fashion trends.
• Manage and refine designs through all phases of development including ideation, design, production, and approvals.
• Manage internal and external designers and artists.
• Ensure company maintains a 4-6 month work-ahead schedule allowing for proper studio lead times and approvals.

Requirements:

• 4-5 years’ experience as an Art Director with a focus on fashion and apparel
• 4-5 years’ experience working with licensed brands/studios (film/tv)
• 4-5 years' experience as a graphic designer or illustrator
• First-hand experience designing mood boards, lookbooks and fashion apparel
• Ability to navigate the relationship between art/creative and the needs of the business.
• Working knowledge of production processes for print, fabrication, and installation.
• Expert with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, etc.)
• Extremely high level of attention to detail with strong graphic and illustrative fundamentals and theory.
• Experience designing toys, collectibles, pins, and other conversions items is not required, but is considered a great asset to this role
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to present ideas clearly to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Prior experience in eCommerce, retail or office environment is a big plus.
• Valid passport with the ability to travel throughout North America.
• Solutions-based thinker who thrives in a fast-paced work environment.
• Advanced familiarity of current and nostalgic pop culture from the ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s.
• Familiar with MS Office: Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Slack, Canva.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently while maintaining deadlines.
• Availability to respond to issues and crises outside typical business hours.
• Must be able to travel to Ajax, Ontario at least 3 days per week.
• Employee discounts on all products and collections.
• Monthly cell phone compensation.
• Paid vacation and sick days.
• Flexible hours to accommodate your life outside of work.
• Opportunities for personal growth and professional development.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology

• Industries

  Apparel & Fashion

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