Design Director Women's - Eddie Bauer

Oved Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits: Medical, Dental, and…

401(k) + company-paid life insurance

PTO + company holidays

Family-oriented culture

Sustainability focus

Job summary

o5 group is seeking a Design Director for Women's Eddie Bauer to shape creative vision and drive the product lifecycle. You will lead trend research, fabric and wash development, and ensure fits align with brand identity, reporting to the SVP of Design.

This role collaborates with Merchandising, Sales, Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Production to deliver commercially successful products while maintaining design integrity in a fast-paced global environment.

Qualifications

• 8-12+ years of progressive apparel design experience, with deep women's focus.
• Proven ability to set seasonal design direction and lead development from concept to execution.
• Strong knowledge of denim fabrication, washes, and garment construction.
• Experience designing lifestyle categories (knits, dresses, wovens, outerwear).
• Understanding of global manufacturing, sourcing, and vendor collaboration.
• Able to balance creative vision with business needs and margins.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Creative Direction: Set the seasonal design direction and brand aesthetic for Eddie Bauer Women's and oversee product development from concept to execution.
• Product Development: Drive fabric, garment construction, trims, and wash/finish development with cross-functional teams.
• Lifestyle Integration: Develop adjacent categories to build a cohesive seasonal collection.
• Material Expertise: Apply denim fabrication and wash techniques across fabrics and silhouettes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Merchandising, Sales, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Production to hit margins while preserving design integrity.
• Fit & Prototype Ownership: Lead fittings, review prototypes, and provide feedback on grading and construction details.
• Trend Analysis: Monitor market and data to deliver commercially successful products.

Skills

Apparel design

Product development leadership

Trend analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Denim fabrication knowledge

Fittings & prototyping

Merchandising collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Fashion/ Textile Design

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Microsoft Office

Job description

o5 group is an industry leader in global fashion and apparel design with 40+ years of success across wholesale, e-comm, and marketplace. We are privately held, HQ in NYC with brand offices in CA - a dynamic portfolio of global brands committed to operational excellence in design, product development, production, sourcing, distribution & logistics.

With category expertise in full-collection menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, infant toddler; we specialize in denim, outerwear, activewear, loungewear/sleepwear, trusted by top retailers.

About the Role

We are seeking a Design Director, Women's Eddie Bauer to shape the creative vision and lead the product lifecycle for Eddie Bauer. Reporting to the SVP, Design, this role will drive trend research, oversee fabric and wash development, and ensure fits align with brand identity.

This role connects creative design with business and merchandising goals, partnering closely across Merchandising, Sales, Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Production to deliver commercially successful product while maintaining design integrity.

How You'll Contribute

• Creative Direction: Set the seasonal design direction and brand aesthetic for Eddie Bauer Women's while managing the product development process from initial concept through execution.
• Product Development: Drive innovation in fabric selection, garment construction, trims, and wash/finish development. Collaborate with Product Development, Sales, and Production to ensure timely delivery of samples from vendors.
• Lifestyle Integration: Drive the design and development of adjacent categories, including knits, dresses, and outerwear, to build a cohesive seasonal collection that complements the core denim assortment. Ensure consistency in fabric weight, texture, hardware, and color palette across all product categories.
• Material Expertise: Apply mastery of denim fabrication, wash techniques, and global manufacturing and sourcing processes. Bring a deep understanding of how diverse fabrics, from heavy outerwear to fluid dresses, wovens, and soft knits, interact with denim silhouettes and washes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner directly with Merchandising, Sales, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Production teams to achieve margin targets and maintain design integrity.
• Fit & Prototype Ownership: Lead fittings, review protos, and provide precise feedback on grading, silhouette, and construction details.
• Trend Analysis: Monitor the competitive landscape, shop retail markets, and analyze data to deliver commercially successful products.

What You Bring to the Team

• 8-12+ years of progressive apparel design experience, with deep, specialized expertise in women's.
• Proven ability to set seasonal design direction and lead product development from concept through execution.
• Strong knowledge of denim fabrication, wash techniques, garment construction, trims, hardware, fit, and finishing.
• Experience designing lifestyle categories, including knits, dresses, wovens, and outerwear.
• Strong understanding of global manufacturing, sourcing, and vendor collaboration.
• Ability to balance creative vision with business needs, margin goals, and customer expectations.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office programs.
• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design, or a closely related field.
• Experience designing for Costco, club, or value-driven wholesale channels is strongly preferred.

Why Join o5 group

• Health Benefits: Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
• 401(k) + company-paid life insurance.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) + company holidays.
• Family-oriented culture.
• Responsibility & Sustainability - at o5 group this spans economic, social, and environmental impact.