Apparel and Color Designer I

Stio; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental Vision plans

401k with Match

Generous paid time off

Long Term Disability

Employee Assistance Programs

Gear test, perks and more

Job summary

Stio in Denver, CO seeks an Apparel Designer I to support design across product, color, and merchandising for outerwear and sportswear for adults and kids. You will drive inspiration, trend analysis, and early ideation from concept through execution, partnering with cross-functional teams to align with line planning and merchandising needs.

The role emphasizes organized design documentation, clear communication, and an authentic mountain lifestyle aesthetic.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in creative design or related field
• Portfolio recommended
• 3+ years professional design experience
• Participation in the complete product lifecycle
• Execution of merchandising strategy
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite

Responsibilities

• Utilize trend services and participate in industry trade shows and outdoor activities to stay current and protect the brand aesthetic
• Research emerging trends to inform early-season color and concept work
• Support seasonal color R&D through market research and brand knowledge
• Manage color and design documentation, keeping merchandising and PLM partners informed of key updates
• Partner with fabric, product development, production teams, and overseas vendors on seasonal color work and sampling
• Gather visual references to support creative direction
• Manage workload and deliverables against seasonal timeline and GTM dates
• Identify new findings, trims, and accessories to support product end use and retail detail
• Support seasonal print layout direction for clear merchandising and storytelling
• Manage print assets and artwork setup
• Partner with the Materials Manager to align prints and yarn dyes with seasonal color direction
• Assist Senior Color Designer and Design management with seasonal logo/graphics inspiration and artwork contractor follow-up
• Design accessories/logowear through the full product lifecycle
• Manage multiple projects at once, prioritizing by stakeholder and importance
• Push design vision forward with proactive input, staying true to brand mission and values
• Understanding of AI and 3D Design tools a plus

Skills

Adobe Creative Suite

Portfolio recommended

3+ years professional design

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in creative design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

About Us

Stio® is an omni-channel mountain brand that designs, develops and sells beautiful, functional, and innovative apparel, footwear and other accessories infused with the soul of the mountain lifestyle. With headquarters in Jackson, Wyoming, Stio draws inspiration from the surrounding Teton Range and offers product via Stio.com, catalog, B2B and its Mountain Studio® retail locations.

We live and love mountain life, and as such see ourselves as caretakers of the resources that provide it. We are proud partners of Protect Our Winters and the Conservation Alliance among many other organizations. We have a strong preferred materials platform, use Bluesign® approved textiles wherever possible, audit our supply chains for best practices, and operate our workplaces responsibly.

We think that outside is the best side and that you can't improve on nature. It's good for mind, body and soul, and it's our responsibility to help enable access for all people, regardless of race, gender, beliefs, background or ability. We strive for inclusion at Stio and in our local and national communities.

YOUR ROLE

The Apparel Designer I supports Design team initiatives across Product, Color, and Merchandising Design for outerwear and sportswear apparel and accessories, adult and kids. This role keeps the design process efficient and organized, working cross-functionally from concept through execution. The Designer I conducts inspiration research and trend analysis to inform seasonal creative direction and color R&D. They support early-season ideation through sketch and tech pack execution, partnering with stakeholders to align with line planning and merchandising needs. This role also manages design documentation and files to ensure accuracy across teams. Clear communication is key: the Designer I shares concepts, themes, and aesthetics with Product Development and cross-functional partners throughout the product lifecycle. Ultimately, they help bring the brand's design philosophy to life - creating products with high-quality fit, function, form, and fabric rooted in an authentic mountain lifestyle.

Your Responsibilities

• Utilize trend services and participate in industry trade shows and outdoor activities to stay current and protect the brand aesthetic
• Research emerging trends to inform early-season color and concept work
• Support seasonal color R&D through market research and brand knowledge
• Manage color and design documentation, keeping merchandising and PLM partners informed of key updates
• Partner with fabric, product development, production teams, and overseas vendors on seasonal color work and sampling
• Gather visual references (photos, reports, samples) to support creative direction
• Manage workload and deliverables against seasonal timeline and key go-to-market (GTM) dates
• Identify new findings, trims, and accessories to support product end use and retail detail
• Support seasonal print layout direction for clear merchandising and storytelling
• Manage print assets and artwork setup
• Partner with the Materials Manager to align prints and yarn dyes with seasonal color direction
• Assist Senior Color Designer and Design management with seasonal logo/graphics inspiration and artwork contractor follow-up
• Design accessories/logowear through the full product lifecycle
• Manage multiple projects at once, prioritizing by stakeholder and importance
• Push design vision forward with proactive input, staying true to brand mission and values
• Understanding of AI and 3D Design tools a plus

Your Skills And Experience

• Bachelor's degree or higher in creative design
• Portfolio recommended
• 3+ years professional design experience
• Participated in the complete product lifecycle
• Execution of merchandising strategy
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite

THE FINE PRINT

• Must be able to work in a stationary position 75% of the work day
• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Company Paid Long Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Programs
• 401k with Match
• Generous paid time off policies
• Gear test, perks and more

We provide competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives and benefits. The base salary range for this role is $55,000-$65,000. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of the range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors including experience, skills, and qualifications.

This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, we reserve the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed. Stio is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals, including minorities, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans & individuals with disabilities.