Art Director, Apparel Graphics (Hybrid)

Patagonia; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Retirement plan

Leave of absence

Job summary

Patagonia’s Art Director for Apparel Graphics leads the visual direction for graphics across Patagonia apparel collections, translating seasonal ideas into original artwork and graphic systems. You’ll work closely with product line managers, designers, developers, and marketing to guide concepts from ideation to final production.

The role requires 5+ years in apparel graphics or art direction, a strong portfolio, and advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of apparel graphics, graphic design, art direction or closely related creative experience, with a portfolio demonstrating concept development and successful final execution.
• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, fine art, industrial arts or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other relevant design tools.
• Strong capabilities in original artwork, illustration, typography, color strategy and visual storytelling.
• Working knowledge of apparel graphics production, including screen print, embroidery, trims, specialty applications and artwork preparation.
• Experience partnering with product creation or development teams and responding to technical, cost, quality and timeline constraints.
• Experience art directing or providing creative feedback to internal or external designers, illustrators or artists.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast‑moving, collaborative environment.
• Experience with outdoor, sport, lifestyle or global consumer brands is preferred.
• Familiarity with responsible design practices, innovative art applications, artist licensing or outdoor communities is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Create and art direct seasonal apparel graphics that express Patagonia’s brand identity, product stories and creative point of view across assigned categories.
• Translate seasonal themes and creative briefs into original artwork, typography, color strategies, trims and cohesive graphic concepts.
• Partner with Product Line Management, apparel designers, development and marketing teams to align graphics with product, brand, production and sales timelines.
• Balance hands‑on design with art direction, providing clear feedback to internal designers, external creatives and agency or freelance partners as assigned.
• Prepare artwork for screen print, embroidery and specialty applications, working with graphic development partners to ensure creative intent, quality and production feasibility.
• Review and approve artwork strike‑offs and revisions, resolving creative or technical issues while keeping work on schedule.
• Support artist commissioning, artwork licensing and related cost discussions when projects require external creative partners.
• Research cultural, artistic, market and competitive influences while protecting Patagonia’s brand heritage and avoiding trend‑for‑trend’s‑sake design.
• Explore opportunities to improve materials, techniques and graphic applications with consideration for quality, longevity and environmental impact.
• Present concepts and creative rationale clearly, manage multiple projects and maintain consistent communication throughout the design process.

Skills

Apparel graphics

Art direction

Adobe Creative Suite

Typography

Illustration

Production prep

Education

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design

Equivalent professional experience

Tools

Artwork preparation

Screen printing prep

Job description

Patagonia’s Art Director for Apparel Graphics leads the visual direction for graphics across Patagonia apparel collections, translating seasonal ideas into original artwork and graphic systems. You’ll work closely with product line managers, designers, developers, and marketing to guide concepts from ideation to final production.

The role requires 5+ years in apparel graphics or art direction, a strong portfolio, and advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills.