FP Movement Color Designer

About FP Movement

FP Movement is a highly spirited, performance-ready activewear brand that bridges the gap between wellness, fitness, and fashion. Rooted in the Free People aesthetic, our collections are designed to move with our customer—whether she is running a marathon, flowing in yoga, or taking a recovery day.

About the role

The Color Designer reports to the Assistant Director of Color and plays a key role in shaping the seasonal color direction for FP Movement. Partnering closely with Design, Product Development, Production, and Materials teams, this role supports trend research, develops cohesive seasonal palettes, and ensures color consistency from concept through production. The Color Designer is responsible for researching color trends, building brand-right palettes, facilitating cross-functional communication, and overseeing lab dip (L/D) color and quality approvals to ensure the integrity of the final product. The ideal candidate has an exceptional eye for color nuance, a deep understanding of the activewear market, and the ability to balance creative vision with technical execution. They thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and are passionate about creating innovative, performance-driven color stories that bring the FP Movement brand to life.

Responsibilities

• Trend Research & Forecasting:
  • Conduct extensive macro and micro trend research specifically tailored to the activewear, wellness, and lifestyle markets.
  • Identify emerging color trends and translate them into actionable, brand-appropriate concepts for FP Movement.
  • Shop the market and attend industry/color trade shows to stay ahead of color shifts and material innovations.
• Color Palette Development:
  • Collaborate with the Concept and Design teams to build cohesive, seasonal color palettes that balance core, fashion, and pop colors.
  • Create compelling physical color boards, digital presentations, and digital color swatches for seasonal kickoff meetings.
  • Assign and manage internal color names, codes, and standard physical swatches (e.g., Pantone, CSI) for the season.
• Cross-Functional Communication:
  • Act as the primary color liaison between Apparel Design, Print & Pattern, Merchandising, and Production teams.
  • Ensure color consistency and cohesiveness across all FP Movement categories (apparel, accessories, intimates, outerwear).
  • Lead seasonal color hand-offs, clearly communicating color direction, intent, and pairing strategies to the broader team.
• Lab Dip & Production Management:
  • Manage the end-to-end lab dip, strike-off, and trim color approval process.
  • Evaluate physical lab dips against established color standards under appropriate light boxes, providing clear, actionable, and timely comments to overseas vendors.
  • Maintain and organize physical color libraries, tracking charts, and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems with up-to-date color statuses.
  • Troubleshoot color-matching issues across different fabrications (e.g., matching a nylon/spandex legging to a cotton fleece sweatshirt).

Requirements

• Experience: 3–5 years of color design, concept, or textile experience in the apparel industry (activewear experience is a major plus).
• Education: Bachelor Degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Fine Art or related area of study preferred.
• Technical Color Skills: Exceptional color acuity. Must be able to pass a Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Color Vision Test with a superior score.
• Systems Proficiency: Highly proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) and standard PLM systems.
• Fabric Knowledge: Strong understanding of dyeing processes, fabric properties, and how color translates across various synthetic and natural materials.
• Soft Skills: Highly organized, proactive, and capable of managing tight, overlapping seasonal deadlines. Excellent written and verbal communication skills for navigating vendor relationships and internal alignment.

Benefits

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!