Junior Designer Colors & Materials - Bata

Bata Group; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Bata Group is seeking a Junior Colors & Trends Designer to translate global color, material, and trend directions into practical design guidance for men’s, women’s, and kids collections. You will collaborate with design, merchandising, sourcing, and regional teams to create seasonally relevant color stories, palettes, and mood boards.

The role involves researching runway and consumer signals, developing trend books, and sharing insights with senior designers and stakeholders across Bata’s

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in color, materials, trend research, footwear, fashion, or lifestyle.
• Ability to distill global/regional trend signals into clear, actionable color and material direction.
• Good understanding of color, materials, fashion, and consumer trends.
• Experience creating mood boards, color palettes, trend presentations, or visual research materials.
• Awareness of global and regional trend resources, forecasting services, and cultural movements.

Responsibilities

• Research global and regional color, material, and trend direction across seasons.
• Support the development of seasonal color palettes, material stories, mood boards, and trend books.
• Collaborate with Senior Designers to incorporate color and trend direction into seasonal collection development.
• Prepare and present seasonal trend presentations and mood boards to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with offices across Asia to understand regional trends and adapt insights.
• Partner with Sourcing on material developments, availability, and sustainability choices.
• Adapt global trend direction for regional relevance, balancing brand and local needs.
• Build and maintain a global color and trend archive.
• Contribute color and trend research to brief previews and regional reviews.
• Willingness to travel to Asia for work.

Skills

Color research

Trend analysis

Mood boards

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Job description

The Junior Colors & Trends Designer supports the research, development, and translation of global color, material, and trend direction into clear, seasonal design direction for Bata's global footwear and accessories portfolio.

This role requires a design professional with a strong interest in color, materials, fashion, and cultural and consumer trends, and the ability to translate trend research into practical and commercially relevant direction for the Men's, Women's, and Kids design teams.

Each season, the Junior Colors & Trends Designer supports the development of trend narratives that inform Bata's collections — researching runway, street style, cultural, and consumer signals across regions, and translating them into color palettes, material stories, and mood boards that support design, merchandising, and sourcing decisions.

Working across a highly matrixed organization, the role partners closely with the Men's, Women's, and Kids design teams, Merchandising, Sourcing, and Bata's offices across Asia to ensure Bata's seasonal color and trend direction is relevant across diverse global markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Research global and regional color, material, and trend direction across seasons, covering runway, street style, cultural, and consumer signals relevant to footwear and accessories.
• Support the development of seasonal color palettes, material stories, mood boards, and trend books that guide the Men's, Women's, and Kids design teams.
• Partner closely with Senior Designers across categories to incorporate color and trend direction into seasonal collection development from the early concept stages.
• Support the preparation and presentation of seasonal trend presentations and mood boards to the Senior Color and Materials Designer, design teams, and Merchandising stakeholders.
• Work closely with Bata's offices and teams across Asia to understand regional market, consumer, and cultural trends and incorporate relevant insights into global trend direction.
• Partner with Sourcing and materials teams on new material developments, availability, and sustainability-conscious material choices.
• Support the adaptation of global trend direction for regional relevance, balancing brand consistency with local market and consumer needs.
• Build and maintain a global color and trend archive, tracking direction and performance season over season.
• Contribute color and trend research to brief previews and subsidiary/regional reviews, in collaboration with the Business Development team.
• Willingness to travel to Asia for work and collaborate with regional teams and offices.

Reporting

• Reports to: Senior Color and Materials Designer
• Cross-category role within Bata's Global Design organization, partnering closely with the Senior Designers, Men's, Women's, and Kids Footwear, as well as Merchandising, Sourcing, and regional teams.

Work Experience

• 1–3 years of experience in color, materials, trend research, footwear, fashion, or lifestyle; relevant internships or academic experience may also be considered.
• Ability to research and distill global and regional trend signals into clear and actionable color and material direction.
• Good understanding of color, materials, fashion, and consumer trends, with an interest in translating trends into commercially relevant products.
• Experience creating mood boards, color palettes, trend presentations, or visual research materials.
• Awareness of global and regional trend resources, forecasting services, and cultural and consumer movements relevant to footwear and accessories.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Design, Merchandising, Sourcing, and regional teams within a global organization.
• Basic understanding of materials, sustainability considerations, and manufacturing constraints as they relate to color and material choices.
• Good visual communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly communicate trend research and insights.
• Strong interest in fashion and design, combined with the ability to research, organize, and summarize information in a clear and structured way.