Senior RTW Designer

Stella McCartney Ltd; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned luxury fashion company in the City of Westminster is seeking a Senior RTW Designer. This role involves collaborating with the Design Director to create innovative collections and leading a team of designers. Successful candidates will demonstrate strong garment construction knowledge and a creative approach to fashion. Responsibilities include overseeing the design process, leading fittings, and ensuring the team's success. This position offers comprehensive benefits including discounts, pension contributions, and wellness support.

Benefits

Up to 50% discount on products

Matched pension contribution

Extensive medical insurance

25 days annual leave

Flexible working hours

Enhanced parental packages

Qualifications

• Experienced in leading Designers and creative teams.
• Strong technical background in garment construction.
• Experience in the luxury design industry is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Design Director to develop collection concepts.
• Oversee the design process from sketches to production.
• Lead fittings and manage the creative direction.
• Work with various departments to maintain product consistency.

Skills

Garment construction knowledge

Team collaboration

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Creative thinking

Time management

Job description

Reporting to the Design Director, the Senior RTW Designer is responsible for collaborating with the Design Director in the creation of the Stella McCartney RTW collection from concept to completion. This role will be working closely with the design team acting as the bridge between the Design Director and the team to manage and ensure that the collections are successful and fashion forward. Your Mission:

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the Design Director for support to ensure the best understanding and development of seasonal creative concepts.
• Drive fittings independently and display confidence in following through styles from sketch to production, ensuring all sketches are defined and put into development by the team. Demonstrate technical awareness and knowledge of garment construction.
• Actively lead, drive and monitor the conceptual development of innovative and directional product lines in all areas relating to the RTW collections.
• Work with the Design Director to develop key overarching creative direction to implement at the beginning of each season, bringing your own original ideas to convey freshness and relevance to the product. Support the fabric research and colour card inspiration and fully oversee the creative fabric to sketch process.
• Working closely with the Design Director for day-to-day support and management, attend inter-category and inter-department meetings to ensure development is achieved within the timelines set by the Senior Collection Manager.
• Work collaboratively with all key departments, including Merchandising, Product Development, Fabric, Print, Embroidery, and Atelier to develop the collection in the vision of the Design Director and achieve consistency in product.
• Develop a close working relationship with the Product Development and Materials team to ensure they source the materials and techniques needed on time, as well as providing them with clear, complete and updated design information for them to pass onto our factories to ensure successful prototypes.
• Travel when required to Novara to fit and oversee the sampling process. Demonstrate confidence to provide clear directives and feedback.
• Help give direction and guidance to the Designer, Junior Designer and Design Assistants. Oversee their work and development on behalf of the Design Director. Ensure they are fully briefed, all projects are overseen at every stage and they develop in their role.

Qualifications

• Previous experience leading Designers and creative studio.
• Technically strong with good knowledge of garment construction.
• Experience ideally gained in the luxury design industry.
• Ability to delegate and manage Junior Designers.
• Ability to multi-task and work effectively on several projects simultaneously.
• Goal oriented, result driven individual.
• Commercially minded, quickly responding to business/market needs.
• Strong team player who is able to work across multiple teams and under pressure.
• High work ethic, integrity and reliability with a "Hands on" attitude.
• Great time management skills.
• Comfortable working additional hours to perform duties, including weekends and also travel when necessary.
• Impeccable presentation and communication skills, both verbally and written.
• Proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Creative thinker, with the ability to think outside the box and an eye for detail.

Benefits

• Our philosophy is to go beyond monetary return and consider ourselves responsible for your wellbeing, your family, your health, your time and the community.
• Up to 50% discount on Stella McCartney products.
• Matched pension contribution up to 6%.
• Extensive private medical and critical illness insurance, as well as life assurance.
• Annual Health Screening.
• 25 days annual leave (not including Bank Holidays) + 1 day of Birthday leave.
• Flexible working/core hours.
• Enhanced Maternity/paternity packages.
• Matched Give as You Earn charity scheme.
• Discounted gym and fitness memberships (Classpass).
• Health cash plan.
• Physical and Mental Wellbeing Support Services.
• Employee referral bonus.
• Optional/ Paid Benefits: Season ticket loan, cycle to work and tech schemes, travel and dental insurance and much more.

We welcome people with disabilities and endeavour to make reasonable adjustments. If you do require such adjustments please let us know within 48 hours of your interview.

At Stella McCartney, we like to be bold. For us this means challenging ourselves and the wider industry in which we operate. As part of our commitments to inclusive fashion, we have an ambitious strategy to put diversity, equity and inclusion at the centre of everything we do. Our starting point is to create a workplace where different voices are respected, heard and empowered in equal measure regardless of factors such as culture and backgrounds, and to influence and disrupt fashion and other industries by providing opportunities for global diverse talent to shine.