Lead Designer - Menswear

Gilder Search Group; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Gilder Search Group is seeking a Men's Apparel Designer to own design from concept to final production for a growing Texas brand. You will create men's tops across woven and knit styles, including western shirts, plaids, polos and performance knits, translating trends into commercially viable products.

This in-office role in Dallas/Fort Worth requires a strong portfolio and production‑ready tech packs, with collaboration across Merchandising and Sourcing.

Qualifications

• Prior professional apparel design experience in menswear.
• Portfolio demonstrating apparel design work.
• Experience developing prints, plaids, embroideries or other apparel surface design elements.
• Knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, fit, washes, prints, plaids, embroideries and trims.
• Experience creating detailed, production ready apparel tech packs.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop men's tops across woven and knit apparel from concept to final production approval.
• Create detailed apparel sketches and production ready technical packages including BOM information.
• Partner with Merchandising to develop seasonal direction and align design with assortment strategy.
• Collaborate with Sourcing and overseas factories on fabric development, trims, washes, samples and production execution.
• Review lab dips, fabric submissions, trims, embroideries, prototypes and production samples.

Skills

Menswear design

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Garment construction

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Bring your apparel design experience and creative point of view to a growing men’s apparel brand where you can own designs from the first idea through final production.

As the Men's Apparel Designer, you will design men's tops across woven shirts, knits, polos, performance apparel, prints, plaids and novelty styles. You will have the opportunity to combine creativity with commercial apparel design, translating western and contemporary fashion trends into products customers want to wear and buy.

If you love the details of apparel design, from finding the right fabric, color and print to developing a technical package and seeing the finished product come to life, this is an opportunity to have your hands on the entire design process.

Men's Apparel Designer – Your Job Duties

You will own men's tops design and development from seasonal trend research and initial concept through final production approval. You will:

• Design and develop men's tops across woven and knit apparel including western shirts, fashion wovens, printed shirts, solids, plaids, polos, tech and performance knits and novelty styles
• Partner closely with Merchandising to develop seasonal direction and align apparel design with assortment strategy from initial concept through line adoption
• Develop seasonal concepts, mood boards, color palettes, fabric direction, prints, trims and design details
• Create original plaids, prints, embroideries, appliqués, patches and other design elements
• Research western apparel, men's fashion, lifestyle, color, fabric, print, pattern and silhouette trends and translate trends into commercially successful product
• Create detailed apparel sketches and production ready technical packages including construction, measurements, trims, artwork and BOM information
• Partner with Sourcing and overseas factories on fabric development, trims, washes, samples and production execution
• Review and provide clear direction on lab dips, strike offs, fabric submissions, embroideries, trims, prototypes, salesman samples, preproduction samples and shipment samples
• Work with Technical Design on garment fit, construction, quality and consistency across the men’s apparel line
• Manage design milestones, approvals and production handoffs across multiple overlapping seasonal calendars
• Analyze competitive apparel brands, retail trends and historical sales performance to identify opportunities for product growth and innovation
• Participate in line reviews, merchandising meetings, sales meetings and product presentations
• Stay connected to western, country, rodeo, workwear, outdoor and contemporary men’s apparel trends to bring fresh ideas and commercially relevant designs to the collection

Men's Apparel Designer – You Have (Required Skills, Experience & Team Fit)

You have:

• Prior professional apparel design experience in menswear
• Prior experience designing men's apparel, men's shirting, woven apparel, knit apparel or related apparel categories
• A design portfolio that demonstrates your apparel design work and must be provided as part of the application process
• Experience developing original prints, plaids, embroideries or other apparel surface design elements
• Knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, fit, washes, prints, plaids, embroideries and trims
• Experience creating detailed, production ready apparel tech packs
• A strong eye for color, proportion, fabrication, print, pattern and commercially viable apparel design
• Understanding of garment costing and designing products to targeted price points
• Proficiency with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop
• Ability to work 100% in office in the Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas area, Monday through Friday

Men's Apparel Designer – Benefits for You

Your compensation will be a base salary of $85,000 to $105,000 depending on experience and portfolio. You will be provided with a full package of medical, dental, vision insurance and company sponsored retirement plan, paid time off and paid holidays.

A design portfolio demonstrating apparel design experience is required with your application.