Senior Designer, Fabric & Concept

Reitmans (Canada) Limited; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Reitmans Canada Limited, home to Reitmans, RW&CO, PENN.Penningtons, seeks a Senior Designer, Fabric & Concept for the PENN.Penningtons brand. You will shape material strategy, align concept, fabric, color, and technique with product goals, and serve as the material expert and creative connector for the design team.

Working with the Design Director and Global Sourcing, you will translate customer insights into fabric innovation, partner on seasonal concepts, and present compelling previews.

Qualifications

• Strong fashion instinct and deep textile knowledge.
• Experience shaping material across fabrics, yarns, trims.
• Ability to translate trends into material strategies.

Responsibilities

• Define PENN.Penningtons' seasonal and long-term material direction.
• Collaborate with Design Director to bring brand DNA to life through material.
• Stay ahead of textile innovation and emerging mill capabilities.
• Shape seasonal concepts from research through rollout.
• Create concept previews, seasonal strategies, and presentations.
• Identify trends and translate them into material ideas.
• Introduce newness through material, color and texture.
• Create a clear creative thread from inspiration to product.
• Lead material partnership with Global Sourcing.
• Consolidate material needs into actionable briefs.
• Communicate direction with international partners.
• Identify priorities to support development and production.
• Share material knowledge and inspire the team.
• Provide clear feedback in design reviews.
• Anticipate design needs and contribute to reviews.

Skills

Textile knowledge

Fashion design

Material forecasting

Brand storytelling

Job description

• Job Type: New Position - HO/DC
• Status: Permanent

Company Description

We're RCL - Reitmans Canada Limited. We've been part of the fabric of Canada's fashion landscape since 1926, and today, we're elevating our iconic brands - Reitmans, RW&CO, and PENN. Penningtons - more than ever before.

Our vision is to empower Canadians to live confidently, and our mission is to create collections of uncompromising style and quality for all.

Withclose to400 stores nationwide andcollections designedright here at home, in Canada, we offer an exceptional customer experience. What drives us? A clear vision, unwavering commitment to our customers, and the passion of our thousands of employees across the country.

Job Description

The Opportunity

Great design starts with a point of view - and the right material can change everything.

As Senior Designer, Fabric & Concept for the PENN.Penningtons brand, you'll help shape what's next, bringing together concept, fabric, color, innovation and product.

You'll be the Design team’s material expert and creative connector - someone who understands where fashion is going, what our customer will want next, and how new fabrics, yarns, textures, finishes and techniques can unlock new possibilities.

Working closely with the Design Director, Senior Designers, Global Sourcing, you'll connect creative ambition with material innovation and production expertise.

This is a role for someone with a strong fashion instinct, deep textile knowledge and genuine curiosity about what's next.

What You’ll Shape

Define the Material Vision

• Build and continuously evolve the PENN.Penningtons brand’s seasonal and long-term direction across fabrics, yarns, trims, textures and craftsmanship.
• Partner with the Design Director and Senior Designers to bring brand DNA and seasonal stories to life through material.
• Stay ahead of textile innovation, new technologies and emerging mill capabilities - and turn them into opportunities for the brand.
• Partner with the Design Director and Senior Designers to shape seasonal concepts from research through rollout.
• Build compelling concept previews, seasonal strategies and creative presentations.
• Identify macro and micro trends that matter to our customer and translate them into relevant ideas.
• Bring newness through material, color, texture, craftsmanship and emerging techniques.
• Create a clear creative thread from inspiration to product.

Connect Design + Global Sourcing

You'll be the bridge between what we imagine and what we can create.

• Lead the Design team’s material partnership with Global Sourcing.
• Consolidate material needs across categories and turn them into clear, actionable sourcing briefs.
• Communicate creative direction and product needs clearly with international partners.
• Identify priorities early to support development, sampling, costing and production.

Elevate the Team

• Be a source of material knowledge, inspiration and new thinking for the Design team.
• Bring clarity and a strong point of view to design reviews and presentations.
• Anticipate what