Apparel Designer – Ladies/Womenswear

Confidential; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in Midtown Manhattan, NY seeks an experienced Senior Apparel Designer (Ladies/Womenswear) to lead concept development through development and customer presentations. You will translate trends into commercially viable products and manage multiple accounts and deadlines in a hands-on role.

The candidate will drive seasonal direction, present to retail partners, and collaborate with cross-functional teams in New York and overseas, ensuring brand DNA alignment and market relevance.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years apparel design experience, focusing on Ladies/Womenswear.
• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion/Apparel Design or related field; BFA preferred.
• Proficiency in Illustrator and Photoshop; Excel and PowerPoint knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive assigned Ladies/Womenswear categories and seasonal initiatives from concept through development and presentation.
• Research emerging trends across silhouette, color, fabrication, print, styling, and consumer behavior.
• Maintain understanding of each retail partner's brand DNA, target customer, price point, and competitive landscape.
• Develop seasonal trend direction, concept boards, color palettes, fabric stories, key items, and assortment recommendations.
• Design original product through sketches, CADs, colorways, prints, fabric and trim selection, and detailed specifications.
• Create and maintain tech packs and clearly communicate design direction to overseas teams and factories.
• Review prototypes and samples, providing clear direction on silhouette, proportion, fabrication, color, construction, fit, and overall aesthetic.
• Review fabrics, trims, lab dips, strike-offs, washes, and other development components.
• Partner with sourcing and development teams to balance design, quality, cost, and manufacturability.
• Build and present seasonal concepts, collections, and product recommendations to internal teams and retail partners.
• Respond to customer feedback and translate direction into timely, actionable design revisions.
• Collaborate with Design, Merchandising, Sales, Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Production teams in New York and overseas.

Skills

Trend forecasting

Concept development

Presentation skills

Global collaboration

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fashion/Apparel Design or related field

BFA preferred

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Excel

PowerPoint

CAD

Tech packs

PLM

3D design

Job description

Apparel Designer – Ladies/Womenswear

Location: Midtown Manhattan, New York (In-Office)

Join a long-established, globally recognized Asia-based apparel vendor partnering with many of the industry's leading retailers. Our New York Design Office serves as the creative and strategic hub for our North American business, working closely with global teams to develop trend-right, commercially relevant collections for major U.S. retail partners.

We are seeking an experienced, creative, and commercially minded Senior Apparel Designer focused on Ladies/Womenswear to join our New York team.

The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of the women's market and can translate emerging trends into compelling, commercially viable product. This is a hands-on role with ownership from concept and design through development, sampling, and customer presentation.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of apparel design experience, with a strong focus on Ladies/Womenswear.
• Wholesale, private-label, mass-market, or multi-brand experience preferred.
• Cut & sew knit design and development experience is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in Fashion/Apparel Design or related field; BFA preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop; working knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong CAD, technical sketching, color, print, fabrication, and presentation skills.
• Strong understanding of garment construction, fit, fabrics, trims, washes, and finishes.
• Experience creating detailed, development-ready tech packs.
• Experience working directly with overseas development, sourcing, and manufacturing teams.
• Strong understanding of the U.S. women's retail landscape and ability to design for a specific customer, brand, and price point.
• Excellent communication, presentation, organization, and time-management skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple accounts, categories, and seasonal deadlines.
• Experience with PLM, 3D design, or emerging AI/creative tools is a plus.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Own and drive assigned Ladies/Womenswear categories and seasonal initiatives from concept through development and presentation.
• Research emerging trends across silhouette, color, fabrication, print, styling, and consumer behavior.
• Maintain a strong understanding of each retail partner's brand DNA, target customer, price point, and competitive landscape.
• Conduct regular competitive shopping, retail research, and market analysis.
• Develop seasonal trend direction, concept boards, color palettes, fabric stories, key items, and assortment recommendations.
• Design original product through sketches, CADs, colorways, prints, fabric and trim selection, and detailed specifications.
• Create and maintain tech packs and clearly communicate design direction to overseas teams and factories.
• Review prototypes and samples, providing clear direction on silhouette, proportion, fabrication, color, construction, fit, and overall aesthetic.
• Review fabrics, trims, lab dips, strike-offs, washes, and other development components.
• Partner with sourcing and development teams to balance design, quality, cost, and manufacturability.
• Build and present seasonal concepts, collections, and product recommendations to internal teams and retail partners.
• Respond to customer feedback and translate direction into timely, actionable design revisions.
• Manage seasonal calendars and ensure key design and development deadlines are met.
• Collaborate closely with Design, Merchandising, Sales, Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Production teams in New York and overseas.
• Identify opportunities for newness and assortment improvement based on trends, customer feedback, and business needs.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to Design Assistants and junior team members.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for more than a strong CAD designer. The right candidate brings creative curiosity, a strong women's fashion sensibility, commercial instinct, and ownership.

They should be equally comfortable shopping the market, identifying trends, developing a collection, reviewing samples with overseas teams, solving development challenges, and presenting product to major retail partners.

This role offers significant exposure to our North American retail business and global organization, with opportunities for continued growth into broader design and creative leadership.