Sr. Designer - Women's Outerwear & Tailoring

jcrew; New York (NY); On-site; USD 98,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Well‑being

Associate Discount

Summer Fridays

Community Impact

Winter Break

Job summary

J.Crew seeks a Senior Designer for Women’s Outerwear and Tailoring to drive the creative vision from concept to production. You will lead the category, research silhouettes and fabrics, and collaborate with production, sourcing, and merchandising to deliver premium results.

You will manage fittings, develop tech packs, and mentor a design team while creating captivating capsules that blend J.Crew’s signature aesthetic with modern innovation.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in apparel design, with a focus on outerwear, tailoring, or structured wovens.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing direct reports on a design team.
• Strong hands‑on knowledge of fabric, silhouette, and detail/fit/finish development, with a highly developed taste level and point of view.
• Working knowledge of pattern, construction, and tailoring principles as they apply to outerwear and structured apparel, including leading fittings.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) for creating original artwork, tech packs, concept boards, and presentation materials, plus experience using Miro and Procreate.
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills, with the ability to articulate creative concepts to leadership and cross‑functional partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and seasonal deadlines in a fast‑paced environment with strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of women’s outerwear, tailored separates, and structured leather apparel each season, from initial concept, sketch, and fabric selection through final production samples.
• Conduct global research on seasonal silhouette, color, and fabric innovation, with heavy emphasis on premium wools, transitional outerwear materials, and traditional and innovative tailoring textiles, translating findings into commercially viable direction that reflects J.Crew’s point of view.
• Develop and source premium fabrics, yarns, trims, leather treatments, hardware, and construction techniques in partnership with Production and Sourcing, balancing innovation with production feasibility.
• Lead fittings for outerwear and suiting, ensuring impeccable garment construction, drape, and tailoring standards, and accurate design cards and tech packs.
• Partner closely with Merchandising, Production, and Technical Design to protect product integrity and the original design vision while maximizing gross margin.
• Manage, mentor, and coach assistant and associate designers, driving accountability and fostering creative growth.
• Create professional presentation boards, CAD artwork, and illustrations to communicate the seasonal vision to leadership and merchants, and maintain an archive of seasonal concepts and artwork to inform future development.

Skills

Outerwear design

Tailoring knowledge

Adobe Creative Suite

Presentation skills

Mentoring team

Fabrics & construction

Pattern & fit

Education

Fashion design degree

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

Procreate

Miro

CAD

Job description

Our Story

J.Crew gets you dressed every day, for every occasion.

Since 1983, we’ve been creating classics that feel familiar and refreshingly new, crafted with unbeatable quality and distinctive point of view—it’s no wonder we’ve been in your closet for four decades and counting.

Today, we continue to do the classics our way, inspiring not only how you shop but how you define your personal style. Our commitment runs deeper than just making great clothes—we’re proud of our role in getting you dressed with confidence, character, and celebrating a distinctly American sensibility that makes us who we are.

Our dedication to Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Sustainability has been celebrated with industry recognition, reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable workplace.

The Role + Purpose:

The Senior Designer of Women’s Outerwear and Tailoring drives the creative vision and technical execution for two of J.Crew’s most iconic heritage categories: classic tailoring (blazers, suiting, trousers) and outerwear (coats, jackets, trenches), including structured leather apparel. Reporting to the Design Director, this person manages the design and development of the category from concept through production approval and contributes directly to fabric, silhouette, and detail/fit/finish. Partnering with the Design Director to interpret seasonal direction, they build curated, thoughtful capsules that marry J.Crew’s signature aesthetic with modern, trend-right innovation and drive strong commercial results.

• Lead the design and development of women’s outerwear, tailored separates, and structured leather apparel each season, from initial concept, sketch, and fabric selection through final production samples.

• Conduct global research on seasonal silhouette, color, and fabric innovation, with heavy emphasis on premium wools, transitional outerwear materials, and traditional and innovative tailoring textiles, translating findings into commercially viable direction that reflects J.Crew’s point of view.

• Develop and source premium fabrics, yarns, trims, leather treatments, hardware, and construction techniques in partnership with Production and Sourcing, balancing innovation with production feasibility.

• Lead fittings for outerwear and suiting, ensuring impeccable garment construction, drape, and tailoring standards, and accurate design cards and tech packs.

• Partner closely with Merchandising, Production, and Technical Design to protect product integrity and the original design vision while maximizing gross margin.

• Manage, mentor, and coach assistant and associate designers, driving accountability and fostering creative growth.

• Create professional presentation boards, CAD artwork, and illustrations to communicate the seasonal vision to leadership and merchants, and maintain an archive of seasonal concepts and artwork to inform future development.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in apparel design, with a focus on outerwear, tailoring, or structured wovens.

• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing direct reports on a design team.

• Strong hands‑on knowledge of fabric, silhouette, and detail/fit/finish development, with a highly developed taste level and point of view.

• Working knowledge of pattern, construction, and tailoring principles as they apply to outerwear and structured apparel, including leading fittings.

• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) for creating original artwork, tech packs, concept boards, and presentation materials, plus experience using Miro and Procreate.

• Exceptional presentation and communication skills, with the ability to articulate creative concepts to leadership and cross‑functional partners.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and seasonal deadlines in a fast‑paced environment with strong attention to detail.

Preferred:

• Experience designing within an established American lifestyle or heritage‑driven brand.

• Familiarity with trend forecasting platforms such as WGSN or Fashion Snoops.

• Knowledge of technical outerwear fabrications, tailoring and draping techniques, and leather sourcing and treatments.

• Track record of designing product that has delivered strong commercial results.

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design, or a related field is a plus, but not required; equivalent professional experience is equally valued.

Benefits + Perks

• Health & Well‑being -Eligible associates and family members receive medical, dental, prescription and vision insurance, family planning (fertility, adoption & surrogacy support), fitness discounts, medical travel and more.

• Associate Discount -We love our products just as much as you do! That’s why we offer a great associate discount across all of our brands (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell).

• Summer Fridays -In addition to our hybrid work model, we also close our office at 1:00 PM every Friday during the Summer months.

• Community Impact -We support the communities where we live and work through our philanthropic efforts and the J.Crew Cares Program.

• Winter Break -In addition to our PTO package, J.Crew Group offers a winter break at the end of December to eligible full‑time associates at the Home Office to provide time to refresh and recharge.

Note: Availability of these benefits and perks may be subject to work location & employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements.

Salary Range: $97,600.00 - $126,300.00

At J.Crew Group (JCG) we aim to pay competitively for our company’s size and industry. The base salary offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’sgeographic region of work premises, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. The base salary is just one component of J.Crew Group’s competitive total rewards strategy that also includes the opportunity for bonus, competitive benefits and perks.

One of our core focuses here at JCGis creating a community and culture that builds belonging. We are deeply committed to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, and we warmly welcome job applicants of all backgrounds.

JCG is proud to affirmatively provide equal opportunity to all associates and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or citizenship, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, legally protected physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected under applicable law.