Art Director

Axel Arigato; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dynamic and innovative team as an Art Director in London, where you will shape the visual identity of a forward-thinking fashion brand. This role offers a unique opportunity to lead creative direction for diverse projects, from e-commerce to brand campaigns. You will collaborate closely with talented professionals, driving impactful visual storytelling while balancing creativity with commercial goals. If you are passionate about fashion and design, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, this position is perfect for you. Be part of a brand that values diversity, respect, and creativity, and make your mark in the fashion industry.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in art direction within fashion or design.
• Strong visual sensibility and ability to create impactful work.
• Portfolio showcasing expertise in photography and motion direction.

Responsibilities

• Develop visual direction for campaigns and content rollouts.
• Oversee photo and video shoots, ensuring high-quality assets.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure cohesive creative strategy.

Skills

Art Direction

Creative Strategy

Visual Storytelling

Team Leadership

Project Management

Communication Skills

Time Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Art or Design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

After Effects

Premiere Pro

CapCut

Job description

Axel Arigato is seeking an Art Director to join the Creative team at our UK office in London. This full-time position offers an exciting opportunity to advance your career in the fashion and creative industries, working across a variety of platforms, including digital, print and e-commerce.

The Art Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the visual direction for e-commerce, brand campaigns, product launches, and special projects. You will work closely with the Creative Director, Head of Creative & Design Operations, and Visual Concept Manager to ensure all visual outputs align with our brand identity and creative vision. Collaborating with in-house designers and producers, photographers, and other creative professionals, you will drive the vision behind still-life, on-model, motions and experiential projects while fostering cross-departmental collaboration.

We are looking for a hands-on, forward-thinking Art Director who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and is strongly passionate about all visual aspects of a brand. The ideal candidate understands the balance between creativity and commerciality, pushing boundaries with fresh, innovative ideas to elevate and evolve the Axel Arigato brand.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Some insight into (some of) what you will oversee and be responsible for:

Creative Direction and Strategy

• Develop visual direction for seasonal campaigns, special projects, and content rollouts, aligning with the brand’s vision and identity.
• Collaborate with the Creative Director and Visual Concept Manager to execute content strategies across digital platforms, social media, product launches, events, and e-commerce assets.
• Review and enhance the e-commerce website with engaging, user-friendly designs, optimizing layouts and navigation for better engagement and conversions.
• Collaborate with the Graphics team to develop graphic collaterals and digital design assets, ensuring all designs align with the brand’s aesthetic and creative vision.
• Drive innovation and maintain brand leadership by translating strategy into consistent, impactful visual storytelling across all platforms.
• Balance creativity with commercial goals, ensuring e-commerce visuals align.
• Maintain constant knowledge of current and upcoming projects and product releases.
• Work closely with product teams to ensure good product knowledge, changes in sample stages to make sure retouch reflects changes to production etc.
• Stay informed on industry trends and proactively introduce new ideas and creative perspectives to the team and the brand.

Production and Execution

• Oversee photo and video shoots, including pre-production, on-set direction, and post-production.
• Develop creative briefs for social media and events content, ensuring engaging visuals.
• Suggest creative teams and collaborators. Partner with the Producer and develop a roster of talent, photographers, directors, set designers and creatives.
• Art direct creative teams on-set and during styling sessions and briefings (shot list, references, concept run-through).
• Manage retouching and post-production to ensure high-quality assets in a timely manner.

Collaboration and Team Leadership

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Marketing and Production to ensure a cohesive 360’ creative strategy.
• Mentor and guide the design team to uphold brand standards.
• Provide creative support for ad-hoc tasks.

Project Management

• Oversee multiple projects simultaneously, meeting tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment with the Creative Project Manager.
• Manage timelines and budgets for creative projects in collaboration with the Production team, ensuring efficient resource allocation and impactful visuals.

ARE YOU THE ONE?

• A bachelor’s degree in an art or a design-related field.
• The ability to motivate and guide cross-functional teams, with 3-5 years of experience in art direction within the fashion, lifestyle, or design industries.
• Strong visual and design sensibility, with the ability to create impactful work across various platforms and mediums.
• Portfolio showcasing expertise in campaigns, still-life, on-model photography, and motion direction.
• In-depth knowledge of talent, design principles, and current fashion trends, seamlessly integrated into unique brand aesthetics.
• Proven ability to combine strategic thinking with creativity to meet both aesthetic and commercial goals.
• Excellent communication skills for presenting ideas and collaborating across teams.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail, ensuring consistent, high-quality deliverables.
• Effective time management, delivering assets on schedule for internal reviews and approvals.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); experience with After Effects, Premiere Pro, and CapCut is a bonus.
• Familiarity with tools like Figma and platforms such as Ometria is advantageous.
• Combine creative vision with strategic goals to deliver high-impact, quality campaigns.
• Lead and collaborate with teams, demonstrating a proactive, adaptable mindset and a “no task is too small” attitude.
• Excel in fast-paced environments, with a passion for learning, attention to detail, and strong time management skills.

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN THE A-TEAM

Apply by submitting your CV by February 28th, 2025. Please apply when you see this ad—we will interview from the start and close the ad if we find a great candidate :)

Salary: According to agreement
Estimated Starting date: ASAP

A BIT ABOUT AXEL ARIGATO
Since its founding in Sweden 10 years ago, Axel Arigato has consistently celebrated the intersectionality of design, music, and art; The brand creates footwear and ready-to-wear that speaks to this creative cultural landscape whilst remaining loyal to its minimal Scandinavian origins. With ten flagship stores across six countries and partnerships with over 250 international retailers, it embraces a global creative perspective. Constantly evolving with the rhythm of contemporary culture, Axel Arigato collaborates with a diverse array of voices as part of an ever-growing community. The brand thrives on fostering human connection – its cultural initiatives, curated experiences and well-crafted design ignite inspiration and encourage discovery.

OUR VALUES: DROP
Diversity, Respect, Openness and Passion are our values that we live and breathe. They are the foundation for our current state and what we will always bring with us to the future.