Handbags & Accessories Design Director

CULT GAIA; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Design Director for Accessories & Handbags to lead a talented team in creating innovative, brand-centric products. This role involves defining the creative direction, managing the design process from concept to production, and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate will have over a decade of experience in apparel design, a strong aesthetic sense, and the ability to inspire creativity within the team. Join this dynamic environment where your contributions will directly impact the success of exciting new product lines.

Benefits

401K with company match

Life Insurance

Pet Insurance

PTO

Clothing Allowance

Referral Program

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Apparel Design with a strong focus on women's accessories.
• Proven ability to lead design teams and manage product development.
• Excellent presentation and storytelling skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development for accessories, ensuring brand alignment.
• Conduct market research to identify trends and opportunities.
• Motivate and mentor the design team to achieve peak performance.

Skills

Apparel Design

Sewing Techniques

Pattern Construction

Trend Forecasting

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Project Management

Team Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Design

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Job description

3 weeks ago Be among the first 25 applicants

DEPARTMENT: Design

REPORTS TO: CEO

POSITION SUMMARY: The Design Director for Accessories & Handbags is responsible for leading a team of skilled designers to create and deliver innovative, brand centric products aligned with strategic initiatives. This leader will define and own the creative direction for seasonal product accessories. The Design Director will use excellent design skills and knowledge of the current market to create innovative commercially viable products, from concept to production. This position will work closely with the CEO in the concept and development of new product.

Key Results Area

Time Allocation

• Lead Design and Development Process for Accessories - 50%
• Design and Concept Development - 25%
• Partner with Production, Sales and Merchandising - 15%
• Develop and Lead Design Team - 10%
• Total - 100%

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead Design and Development Process for Accessories

• Lead in research and analysis of upcoming fashion, market trends and competitive product offerings to understand the market and identify opportunities relevant to our brand.
• Provide key solutions in all stages of the creative, design and development process.
• Lead in the development and design concepts to achieve Cult Gaia’s overall product strategy in addition to quality and financial objectives.
• Maintain thorough knowledge of the line (silhouettes, materials, and design details) and is responsible for tracking changes/additions.
• Responsible for brand and product vision by leading the development of creative concepting and product strategy and tying that to business results and profitability.
• Works cross functionally with other categories to ensure brand cohesiveness
• Maintains product integrity through new developments in hardware and material
• Owning all seasonal hardware development for the Accessories team
• Review development samples for corrections, including aesthetics, dimensions, hand feel, functionality, and workmanship.
• Ultimately, the goal is to increase sales in the categories she oversees.

Design and Concept Development

• Design from concept to creation full range of accessory items.
• Design according to brand aesthetic, new and inspiring concepts, emerging trends, seasonal story, sku plan and sales needs; ensure timely execution of product development calendar.
• Lead in concept presentation and line building recaps, in addition to line presentation.
• Create and present design boards for each season showcasing handbags and accessories inspiration, silhouettes, materials, colors, and sketches; ensure accuracy of boards & line sheets throughout development process.
• Responsible for managing the design process from concept to completion
• Lead in identifying seasonal fashion direction, assortment opportunities and merchandise trends for all accessory categories.
• Select and review raw materials and trims. Work closely with PD team to make requests for new articles & trims.
• Approve lab dips with product development team and ensure consistency with color standards.
• Tag all development samples and organize for archive and sample sales.

Technical Design

• Communicate technical information regarding achieving design aesthetic intent and clarity of tech pack information with factories.
• Create full-scale technical specs using the latest Adobe Illustrator and CAD tools Illustrator plugin version to clarify proportions and shape; ensure accuracy of tech packs in Dropbox/WFX throughout development process.
• Provide technical callouts while reviewing line in its entirety to ensure consistency.
• Identify, clearly define, and resolve technical issues and partner with the PD team to ensure comments are communicated.
• Identify opportunities for cost engineering improvement and raw material optimization (seaming, material placement, etc.)
• Email all specs to vendors throughout development process & ensure timely communication via Wechat, Whatsapp, & email to all vendors on a daily basis.
• Keep all Ai and pdf files organized and labeled properly in Dropbox.
• Create and maintain Illustrator component libraries (to scale hardware components, brush strokes, material swatch libraries.)

Partner with Production, Sales and Merchandising

• Build strong and synergistic relationships with key internal partners including Sales, Planning and Production.

Develop and Lead Design Team

• Motivate and lead a team to create innovative solution driven products.
• Inspire creativity within the team and foster new concepts that expand on brand defining products and technologies.
• Motivate, mentor, and develop the design team to deliver peak performance.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS:

• 10+ years of experience in Apparel Design with demonstrated success.
• 4 years college degree in Design or other related field.
• Strong knowledge women accessories.
• Strong knowledge of sewing techniques, pattern construction, fitting, grading, and costing.
• Successful experience in working effectively at a senior level and proven ability to provide guidance, mentoring and direction to direct reports.
• Entrepreneurial, highly motivated self- starter with the ability to influence, trouble-shoot and problem solve.
• Excellent presentation and story-telling skills.
• Strong collaborator that has experience working with cross-functional partners.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Strong aesthetic with exceptional silhouette, color, and trend forecasting ability.
• Ability to translate trends to specific targeted consumer needs.
• Ability to think three dimensionally and to visualize from swatch to body.
• Strong organizational, time management and communication skills.
• Must be skilled in Adobe Illustrator, photoshop and have some hand drawing skills.
• Strong ability to interact and successfully collaborate with multiple teams and staff members.
• Clear presentation and communication skills and can present designs at product reviews via sketching, prototypes, color boards, CAD, etc.
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines.
• Highly detail-oriented and meticulous with follow-up.
• Works well under moderate supervision.

What We Offer:

• 401K with company match
• Life Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• PTO
• Clothing Allowance
• Referral Program

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Design and Art/Creative

• Industries

  Retail Apparel and Fashion

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at CULT GAIA by 2x

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