Established in 2010 and situated in the heart of London, our Client supplies exclusively designed uniforms for establishments operating at the luxury end of the market including hotels, restaurants, bars, beauty and leisure spas and luxury retail brands.
As our Client expands they are looking for an experienced Senior Design and develop a team to then achieve the ambitious growth plans successfully. The candidate needs a luxury, formal womenswear background with the ability to work across both Menswear and Womenswear and be able to design across multiple garment types. Experience required is from Luxury and RTW Brands as opposed to Supplier.
The role is as much about design as it is about managing a team and thinking about the bigger picture to help towards growing the business to achieve the growth plan.
The candidate needs to be commercially aware, confidently know their fabrics, be meticulous with their presentation visuals and be able to hit very tight deadlines. Candidates must also have excellent presentation skills, and confidence to present to prestigious stakeholders who have high expectations.
Excellent illustrator skills are essential for this role!
The role:
• Full time position.
• The role is Design Manager and there is currently one direct report.
• You will work from the London based studio so must live within commutable distance
• A multi-product designer, working across a wide range of fabric bases with a strong knowledge of tailoring.
• You will have managed and trained a team of designers previously so that as you grow your team you can accommodate managing your junior members in getting the job done whilst you carry out more senior tasks.
• You will have a good sense of colour, print and graphics.
• You will have the ability to work from spreadsheets and translate information given to you in numbers and descriptions into a uniform range that would work across multiple areas of the hospitality and hotel industry.
• The creation of design concepts including research and visual mood boards for presentation to the client. Translate the client brief quickly and get the concept right first time.
• You will be required to research the history and heritage of each brand to come up with a unique design angle that will translate into innovative design and a strong concept.
• You will offer dynamic, fresh, highly creative ideas to excite the client and strengthen the Client’s portfolio.
• Be responsible for diffusing this high-level design concept down through the rest of the uniform range. Designing (with the help of supporting designers) the uniform range for the staff to wear in each area of the business / hotel.
• To offer guidance and support to the product development and commercial team.
• You will be responsible (with the help of supporting designers) for all fabric sourcing and will be expected to present fabric and trim options for each design along with fabric/trim prices, minimum quantities and technical information
• Work closely with the Pattern Cutter, Assistant Designers, Commercial and Product Development teams, as well as the CEO and COO to achieve objectives set.
• Responsible for meeting key dates and ensuring design is all completed to critical path.
• You will be asked to present your designs to the client in a corporate environment.
• As the company grows you will recruit a team
The candidate:
• It is imperative that you can translate and articulate your design concepts and ideas clearly and quickly onto presentation boards imagining that the audience is not necessarily from a design background.
• You will be able to translate your ideas into coherent and well written sentences to quickly and concisely get your vision and concept across.
• Significant design experience at senior level.
• Significant experience in managing and training a team of designers.
• Experience of tailoring is essential with the ability to cover casual wear also.
• We are looking for a Design Manager who can work across both menswear and womenswear.
• Very experienced in directing pattern cutters and managing fit meetings and directing how the designs are to be constructed so a good background in making garments.
• Experienced and quick at creating CADs- Illustrator skills are essential for this role
• Experienced in creating engaging and impressive mood boards to articulate your ideas.
• Be able to translate your design concepts into beautiful pieces of writing that will support the presentation boards and get your ideas across to the client.
• High-level computer presentation skills.
• Ability to sketch illustrations and then translate to the computer.
• Ability to draw people sketches directly onto the computer.
• You will be dynamic, innovative, and highly creative.
• Must have experience within a luxury and premium brand or high-end high street retailer. Uniform design experience a benefit though not essential.
• You will be a problem solver and can think strategically for each client brief.
• You must think on your feet and come up with alternative solutions quickly.
• Strategic thinker and able to plan a range across multiple numbers of sub-ranges. Experience of designing complex ranges and sub-ranges.
• It is essential that you are trend aware with a strong understanding of fashion and lifestyle and quick access to trend resources.
• Good commercial awareness and able to design to a set budget and ensure the range as a whole is being designed with commercial targets in mind. Experience of designing commercially and understanding cost.
• Full contact book of mills and factories. You should be strong on sourcing as well as on design.
• Detailed knowledge of fabrics, garment construction and production methods.
• You will be passionate, hardworking, and accountable for your role. Able to work with minimal direction.
• Highly organised with great time management skills.
• Excellent communicator at all levels.
• Happy to lead a busy team.