Free People Design Director- Collection Sweaters

• The Design Director Sweaters, will lead the design creation, development, and execution of own brand product appropriate for Free People customer with a focus on bringing in newness, strong fashion and trend point of view with fashion forward shapes and innovation yarns.
• Strong initiative and point of view on design research and staying up to date with industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations that can relate to the Free People target customer.
• You are able to identify global emerging trends in concept/stitch/pattern and yarn. You will help conceptualize and lead the development of original ideas as well as create newness and execute new layouts ideas for patterns, stitches and garment construction. Ability to create and execute original knitwear ideas and designs, working with in house knitters and overseas to present your design’s vision in key design meetings.
• They are a leader in the design process & creation for sweaters, responsible for overseeing the entire design workflow, from conceptualization to production, ensuring each collection aligns with the brand identity as well as setting overall trend direction for each delivery. You must be able to recognize and accurately forecast fashion and cultural trends and understand how they relate to the Free People customer as well as align with overall business strategy and sales goals.
• Identify areas of opportunities across Sweaters category to constantly elevate and test new ideas and push the category forward. One other area of focus will be around sourcing, developing and identifying key fabrications seasonally working closely with Design Manager and Textile teams.
• Creative Contribution to the design process including sketching new ideas with the help of AI, procreate and/or Adobe programs (Illustrator, Photoshop), researching new trends and ideas as well as utilizing ai platforms to increase creative research (such as Midjourney, PromeAi, etc.)
• Collaborate with Design and cross functional leadership teams to ensure outstanding design execution while meeting business objectives. Partner with Executive Leadership on seasonal inspiration, concept direction and trend. 
• Work closely with other category Design Directors to cross pollinate ideas, outfitting, assortment balance and maintain seasonal design direction. 
• Inspire and guide direct reports as well as rest of design team on Sweaters to develop innovative and cohesive collections, providing feedback, direction, and mentorship to foster their growth and creativity.

• Creative & Trend Vision: Creativity is a must! Having a strength in pushing new ideas, silhouettes, and design concepts. Exceptional knowledge of relevant culture, trends, and the Free People customer.  

• Demonstrate the vision to identify trends in their early stages and understand their impact to fashion and most importantly to the Free People Brand (Understanding the translation to color, embellishment & craft), so we can be one step ahead for the aspirational customer. Demonstrate the vision to identify trends in their early stages and understand their impact to fashion sweaters, so we can be one step ahead for the aspirational customer.  
• Ability to research and report on industry trend direction, color/print direction, and fabric innovations approximately 9-12 months ahead of season. 
• Ability to articulate ideas clearly and inspire.
• Love a hands-on approach with creating actual mocks/ sketches, work on trend and fabric boards and/or new embellishment techniques and details
• Expertise in taking aspirational ideas, focusing on the key details and making them work for a broader audience.
• Excellent hand sketching and CAD skills in Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator
• Ai knowledge/experience would be a plus!

• Knitting/Sweater knowledge:
• Deep knowledge and expertise in yarns and sweaters materials as well as great understanding of Sweater process development timeline and execution. Full comprehension of fully fashioned sweater construction and fit
• Strong technical knowledge in sweater design and production process: yarn qualities and sizes, as well as knitting techniques, stitches and construction.
• Expert knowledge of knitting and sweater garment construction, knit machines, yarns, trims and washes. When needed be able to mock full garments from patterns, inspiration or draping on a form that can be modeled in presentations.
• Passion for Pattern and color, candidate must have the ability to translate and innovate new ways to express seasonal pattern direction.
• Advanced understanding of yarn textiles, garment construction/fit or raw materials & product production (including sweaters yarns & knitting constructions and sweater fabrications)
• Must be able to communicate stitch and construction ideas
• Expert-level technical knowledge of sweater/knitwear apparel construction
• Extensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques and processes
• Mentoring & Team:
• Function as a leader, mentor and manager for the design team. Lead, inspire and build the dress design team to do their best work yet. Inspire, mentor and provide guidance, feedback, and fostering a collaborative and innovative design environment within a team of creatives.
• Advocating for the team’s creative ideas and supporting them in understanding any new knowledge (i.e. fabric knowledge, silhouette challenges, color challenges, buzz words).
• Provide creative direction and oversee the execution of design concepts, ensuring they meet project objectives and resonate with the Free People customer.

• Soft Skills:
• Strong sense of organizational skills as well as passionate of fast speed environment.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment, constantly pushing new ideas, concepts as well as responding to business objectives with creative and innovative designs to move the category forward.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate and communicate ideas clearly and inspirations to others and to interact with Designers, Buyers and other Cross Functional partners.
• Proactive & collaborative attitude with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams is key at Free People
• Leadership experience with managing a minimum of 3-4+ team members would be key for this role
• Proficient in Microsoft platforms (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Education/Qualification:

• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design with related field experience and focus on sweaters & knitwear
• Outstanding level of taste evidenced in professional design portfolio.
• Demonstrated understanding of retail industry and ability to identify product opportunities and offer innovative design solutions

Years of Experience: 15+ years minimum in Sweater Design

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits

URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.