Footwear Designer

Cult Gaia; California; On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Cult Gaia in Los Angeles is seeking a Footwear Designer/Technical Designer to develop and refine footwear from concept through production. Collaborate with the Director of Accessories Design to ensure designs align with the Cult Gaia aesthetic and seasonal stories.

You will translate design intent into precise technical specs, review development samples, and work with factories to ensure correct execution. Full-time onsite at our LA office, with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of footwear design and/or technical design experience.
• Strong portfolio showcasing footwear design and technical work.
• Bachelor’s degree in Footwear, Accessories, Product, Industrial, or Fashion Design.
• Proficiency in hand sketching and CAD; experience with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Responsibilities

• Design original footwear collections from concept to creation for each season.
• Support trend direction, mood boards, and seasonal line sheets.
• Create and present seasonal boards with silhouettes, materials, colors and sketches.
• Collaborate with Product Development to ensure development WIPs accuracy.
• Maintain knowledge of line and updates throughout development.
• Translate design intent into technical specifications with Director of Accessories Design.
• Provide fit and technical input for new silhouettes; review lab dips.
• Prepare tech packs and CAD/Illustrator files; organize OneDrive assets.

Skills

Footwear design

Technical design

Hand sketching

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

CAD

Global factories experience

Shoe construction knowledge

Trend awareness

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Footwear, Accessories, Product, Industrial, or Fashion Design

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

CAD

Job description

POSITION: Footwear Designer/Technical Designer

COMPANY:Born in Los Angeles, Cult Gaia is known for beautiful heirloom pieces that will live in your closet forever. The cornerstone of Cult Gaia's DNA is creating objects d'art that make you look twice. Since its inception, CG has grown from accessories into a lifestyle brand, selling everything from ready-to-wear to shoes — a world of Gaia.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Footwear Designer / Technical Designer will report to and work closely with the Director of Accessories Design and will support the ideation, creation, and development of beautiful footwear that helps evolve and drive the Cult Gaia business.

What You Will Do

• Partner with the Director of Accessories Design in designing an original and innovative footwear assortment from concept to creation for each season.
• Support seasonal research and trend direction; trend/vintage shop, pull inspirational imagery, and review design concepts.
• Create and assist in presenting seasonal design boards showcasing footwear inspiration, silhouettes, materials, colors, and sketches; maintain accuracy of boards and line sheets throughout the development process.
• Work closely with the Product Development (PD) team to ensure accuracy of development WIPs.
• Maintain strong knowledge of the line (silhouettes, materials, and design details) and track changes and updates throughout development.
• Design in alignment with brand aesthetic, emerging trends, seasonal story, SKU plans, and sales needs while supporting timely execution of the product development calendar.
• Support the evolution of best-selling styles.
• Assist in selecting and reviewing raw materials and trims; help maintain and organize the materials library with the PD team.
• Review lab dips with PD team to ensure alignment with color standards.
• Translate design intent into clear product technical specifications in partnership with the Director of Accessories Design.
• Provide fit and technical input into new silhouette development.
• Communicate technical information and clarify design intent with factories to support accurate execution.
• Create and update technical specs using Adobe Illustrator and CAD tools; maintain accurate tech packs in OneDrive throughout development.
• Support maintenance of established product standards, details (including hardware), and overall product integrity.
• Review development samples for fit, aesthetics, dimensions, hand feel, functionality, and workmanship; provide clear comments and corrections.
• Assist in identifying and resolving technical issues in partnership with the PD team.
• Support cost engineering initiatives and raw material optimization when possible.
• Keep all AI and PDF files properly organized and labeled in OneDrive.
• Help maintain organization of the sample closet, archive closet, hardware, and material libraries.

What You Can Bring

• 4–6 years of work experience in footwear design and/or technical design. Experience with handbags, small leather goods, or accessories is a plus.
• Strong portfolio showcasing footwear design and technical work.
• Bachelor’s degree in Footwear, Accessories, Product, Industrial, or Fashion Design.
• Strong proficiency in hand sketching and computer-aided design.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop; ability to CAD efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• Solid understanding of the design, technical design, and development process from concept through production; experience working with global factories preferred.
• Knowledge of shoe construction and engineering.
• Working knowledge of industry construction standards and materials (leather, hardware, fabric, acrylic, resin, bamboo, straw, and rattan).
• Strong sense of fashion, trend awareness, and alignment with the Cult Gaia aesthetic and quality standards.
• High attention to detail with strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced fashion environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills.
• Collaborative, positive, and solution-oriented team player.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally for tradeshows or factory visits when needed.
• Must be available to work full-time onsite at our Los Angeles office.