Sr. Designer (Fashion & Accessories)

Key Responsibilities

• Fashion-Forward Concepting: Analyze and synthesize current market trends (streetwear, luxury, etc.) to develop innovative product concepts that merge character aesthetics with modern fashion. Pitch these creative directions to the Manager for alignment.
• Trend Forecasting & Concept Development: Lead the translation of macro and micro fashion trends into cohesive, trend-led storytelling. Provide the technical and aesthetic foundation for apparel and accessory lines, ensuring every collection is anchored in seasonal relevance.
• Design Direction: Provide detailed feedback to licensees based on fashion expertise—covering textiles, specialty construction, and graphic placement—to strongly support the Manager’s final approvals.
• Style Guide: Flexibly adapt and expand Universal’s style guides for complex garment and accessory constructions to ensure they serve as high-utility design assets.
• Licensor Communication & Submission Review: Manage daily creative workflows by reviewing licensee submissions via Lunchpad. Provide clear, actionable design feedback from concept to final sample, ensuring every product achieves a high-level balance between fashion-forward sensibility and IP brand consistency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Support: Under the Manager’s direction, partner closely with Category Management, Legal, and Franchise teams. Act as the design-side coordinator to help deliver competitive products to the retail market.

Qualifications

• Experience: 4+ years of senior-level design experience within the fashion industry (apparel, bags, footwear, etc.).
• Technical Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite.
• Deep Understanding: In-depth knowledge of fabric properties, washes, and embellishment techniques (embroidery, patches, screen printing).
• Exceptional Color Sense: Sharp eye for translating 2D graphics into 3D garment constructions.
• Communication: Ability to articulate design intent logically and professionally to support the Manager and facilitate consensus with external partners.
• Portfolio: A professional portfolio demonstrating a track record of blending fashion trends with character-based IPs in a sophisticated way.
• Proactive Mindset: Exceptional ability to drive results.
• Strong Communication & Presentation Skills: Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Organized & Detail-Oriented: Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence: Confident in advocating design decisions and collaborating toward shared goals.
• Proficiency: Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and working knowledge of InDesign, Keynote, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.