Design Manager

Job Description

Designer Manager

We are seeking a creative, strategic, and highly organized Designer Manager to lead the design and execution of speed-to-market initiatives and special make-up (SMU) programs for our direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. This full-time role is ideal for an experienced apparel design leader who can balance innovation with commercial awareness, driving compelling multi-seasonal collections that respond quickly to emerging trends and customer demand.

About The Role

The Designer Manager will oversee the concepting, design, and development of fast-track capsules, collaborations, and key account programs. You will partner closely with Merchandising, Ecommerce, Product Development, Technical Design, and Production to identify opportunities, define assortments, and ensure timely delivery of product that is on-brand, trend-right, and margin-appropriate.

This role requires a strong understanding of the core brand assortment, market landscape, and performance drivers to continually refine and optimize speed-to-market strategies. You will manage design workflows, maintain accurate documentation, and provide ongoing visibility of program status to cross-functional partners and leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Research, design, and develop multi-season, multi-category product concepts for key accounts and ecommerce, grounded in market needs and customer requests.
• Identify and propose speed-to-market and SMU opportunities rooted in:

• Emerging trends and innovation
• Best-seller evolution and updates
• Exclusive wholesale and ecommerce programs
• Back-in-stock and “Need It Now” styles
• Lead the design of brand-elevating collaborations with strategic partners and customers.
• Create and refine detailed design assets such as line art, CADs, and artwork pages for tech packs to support rapid development timelines.
• Support creation of tech packs when needed, ensuring all design information is clear, accurate, and production-ready.
• Maintain deep knowledge of the core seasonal line, including key stories, fabrications, fits, and best-sellers to ensure design cohesion across programs.
• Apply the brand’s aesthetic and “design filter” to all concepts, ensuring alignment with identity, positioning, and revenue goals.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ideate and execute special programs, capsules, and late adds that drive incremental growth.
• Participate in and synthesize insights from best-seller and selling recap meetings across ecommerce and wholesale to inform agile design decisions.
• Stay current on competitive activity, consumer behavior, fabric and wash innovation, and macro/micro trends to inform design direction.
• Track and manage all speed-to-market and SMU timelines to ensure major milestones and ship windows are met.
• Review and comment on lab dips, strike-offs, proto samples, and pre-production samples to uphold design intent, quality, and brand standards.
• Oversee early fit reviews and top-of-production (TOP) evaluations in partnership with Technical Design.
• Ensure timely product completion according to development calendars, while tracking samples and approvals throughout the process.
• Collaborate daily with overseas and domestic vendors, alongside Product Development, to:

• Clarify design intent and specifications
• Achieve targeted costs and margin goals
• Resolve development issues quickly
• Maintain up-to-date logs of all SMU and speed-to-market styles, including status, approvals, and delivery timing.
• Track production approval stages for “Need It Now” and late-add styles; proactively surface risks and solutions.
• Prepare and circulate weekly and monthly design overviews and SKU summaries for leadership visibility and alignment.
• Own and update design boards, digital line sheets, and working documents to ensure they accurately reflect current direction and WIP.
• Perform additional related duties and special projects as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications & Experience

• 10 years of apparel design experience, with at least several years at Senior Designer or Design Manager level.
• Strong background in women’s lifestyle, casual, or contemporary apparel; experience in multi-category assortments preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and maintain a brand’s aesthetic and DNA across multiple product categories.
• Strategic thinker with a proven track record of translating trend and data insights into commercially viable product.
• Experience driving speed-to-market or quick-turn programs, including condensed development timelines and agile decision-making.
• Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize against key business needs.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence cross-functional partners and build strong, trusting relationships.
• Strong communication skills; able to present concepts, articulate rationale, and provide clear direction to internal teams and vendors.
• High proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, plus working knowledge of Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides).
• Experience with merchandising principles and assortment strategy is a plus.