Vice President of Design

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall creative vision and design strategy across multiple private label apparel categories for a key customer.
• Drive seasonal product direction and innovation across elevated brands, denim, sweaters, and other strategic growth categories.
• Serve as the executive design partner to the customer, building trusted relationships and presenting seasonal concepts, trend direction, and long-term design strategies.
• Identify emerging fashion, consumer, and marketplace trends and translate them into commercially successful product assortments.
• Partner closely with Account Management, Merchandising, Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and global teams to deliver innovative product that meets customer expectations and business objectives.
• Lead the development of seasonal assortments from concept through commercialization, ensuring design excellence, product quality, and successful execution.
• Flexibility to travel as needed domestically to the account as well as annual trip to Asia.
• Champion innovation in silhouettes, fabrications, color, print, trim, washes, and product development while balancing customer needs, commercial viability, and profitability.
• Drive category expansion and identify opportunities to grow the customer's private label business through new concepts, trend initiatives, and product innovation.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing design organization, fostering creativity, collaboration, and continuous professional growth.
• Present seasonal design strategies, trend forecasts, and product concepts to executive leadership and customer partners.
• Develop strong partnerships with global design teams, sourcing offices, and manufacturing partners to ensure best-in-class product execution.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to support long-term business strategies, customer growth initiatives, and organizational objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or a related field.
• 15+ years of progressive apparel design experience, including senior leadership experience within private label apparel.
• Proven success leading design organizations supporting major national retail customers.
• Extensive experience across multiple apparel categories, including strong expertise in denim, sweaters, elevated fashion, and contemporary product development.
• Strong understanding of apparel product development, sourcing, garment construction, fabrication, and manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to build executive-level customer relationships and influence strategic business decisions.
• Exceptional creative vision with strong commercial awareness and business acumen.
• Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead high-performing creative teams.
• Excellent presentation, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment while managing multiple priorities and driving strategic initiatives.
• Previous travel experience overseas.