VP of Design

Fwrd; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on items

Free weekly lunches

Company parties and events

Job summary

Fwrd in Los Angeles, CA seeks a visionary VP of Fashion Design to lead the creative direction across the design team. You will drive seasonal collections, mentor senior designers, and ensure alignment with brand identity and market trends.

Responsibilities include overseeing concept to production, collaborating with cross‑functional teams, and presenting trend decks to executives. Requires 10+ years in women’s apparel design and leadership, with a strong portfolio and CAD/Adobe skills.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in senior leadership roles within women’s apparel design.
• Proven ability to lead multiple brands and align design strategy with business goals.
• Expert knowledge of textiles, materials, construction and fit.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating leadership and design prowess.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and CAD tools.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and execution of monthly design plans.
• Lead and inspire a design team to create trendsetting collections.
• Collaborate with marketing, merchandising and production to align strategy with brand identity.
• Oversee design process from concept to final production, ensuring quality and deadlines.
• Develop trend research and translate forecasts into sellable garments.
• Mentor junior designers and design staff and lead workshops.

Skills

Leadership

Brand direction

Trend analysis

Team mentoring

Communication

Adobe Creative Suite

CAD tools

Education

Degree in Apparel Design or related field

Tools

Illustrator

Photoshop

CAD

Job description

VP of Design

Regular Full-Time Senior Management Los Angeles, CA, US

The Vice President of Fashion Design is responsible for overseeing the creative vision and direction of the fashion design team. The VP of Fashion Design leads the design department, working closely with other senior leadership roles such as marketing, merchandising, and production teams. This role is critical in developing innovative designs, maintaining the brand’s aesthetic, and ensuring collections meet market trends, customer demands, and business objectives.

Major Responsibilities

• Oversee the development, implementation and execution of monthly design plans
• Lead and inspire the design team to create innovative, trendsetting collections aligned with the company’s brand identity; manage the fabric selection process
• Stay on top of global fashion trends, ensuring the company’s designs are competitive and relevant
• Oversee the design process from initial concept to final production, ensuring quality, consistency, and adherence to deadlines
• Oversee trend research for ideas in silhouette, trim and fabrics
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to clearly communicate monthly design plans from an aesthetic and productivity standpoint
• Manage and mentor the fashion design team, including senior designers, associate designers, and design assistants
• Facilitate deep integration to ensure alignment with the Buying team in order to craft a unique product mix
• Ensure the designs are unique, while also aligned with the company vision and direction
• Maintain a deep understanding of key productivity and sales metrics and ensure clear communication processes for such metrics (e.g. designer scorecards, key sales metrics)
• Maximize the calendar and create ways team members can effectively hit deadlines
• Continue to evolve design strategy and structure with the executive team while also communicating it thoroughly and effectively
• Provide leadership and direction to the entire design team, including creating and executing short and long‑term developmental goals
• Cultivate, interview and train junior members, including leading workshops
• Effectively conduct the line presentation to the executives and buyers
• Build quarterly trend decks and design plans
• Translate trend research/forecasting to sellable garments
• Travel overseas as needed
• Collaborate with the executive team to align the design strategy with business goals, customer needs, and market positioning
• Encourage experimentation and innovative design concepts that push the boundaries of fashion while staying on‑brand

Key Competencies

• Excellent ability to understand all stages of the design development process
• Trend‑focused, forward‑thinking mindset
• Extensive experience with the full product development lifecycle from concept to final product
• Strong portfolio showcasing innovative design work and leadership in fashion
• Exceptional creativity, vision, and understanding of fabric, color, texture, and garment construction
• In‑depth knowledge of the fashion industry, trends, and market dynamics
• Excellent leadership and people‑management skills, with the ability to inspire and guide a creative team
• Strong communication, collaboration, and presentation skills
• Proficiency in design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) and other fashion design tools
• Expert analytical and decision‑making skills
• Proactive, self‑motivated, advanced knowledge of how to delegate and still meet deadlines with a “get it done” attitude
• Flexible personality willing to take direction and change as business needs change/grow
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment and short lead calendar (5 months)
• Physical capability to lift and carry up to 10 lbs., perform frequent repetitive finger, hand and wrist motions, as well as bending, stooping, reaching, squatting, kneeling, pushing, and pulling
• Capacity to sit for extended periods of time

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of senior leadership and planning experience with leading design teams
• 10+ years of professional work experience in women’s apparel design
• Degree in Apparel Manufacturing, Product Development or Apparel Design related field
• Expert knowledge of textiles, materials, construction and fit
• Computer sketching using CAD skills including Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, hand sketching, flat sketching
• Expert developing tech packs
• Strong hand illustration skills
• Expert computer skills including Microsoft, Adobe and Google suite applications

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with leading multiple brands
• Experience at luxury or contemporary brand
• Design experience with large LA‑based apparel company

Benefits

• Hefty discounts on items (50% or more off retail prices)
• Free weekly lunches
• Company parties and events

Attention

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