Apparel Designer

About Bits & Bows

Bits & Bows is a rapidly growing premium children's lifestyle brand creating polished playwear™ for babies, children, and families. Inspired by classic American style, country club heritage, and resort living, our collections are sold through leading specialty retailers, resorts, country clubs, department stores, and our direct-to-consumer channels.

We are seeking a highly talented Lead Apparel Designer to lead the creative vision, product development, and production execution of our growing apparel and accessories business. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for transforming concepts into commercially successful products while maintaining the elevated aesthetic that defines the Bits & Bows brand.

Position Overview

This role combines creative leadership with product development and production management. The ideal candidate will not only design beautiful products but also oversee the entire development lifecycle—from concept and technical design through sourcing, costing, fit, production, and delivery.

We are looking for someone with deep experience in premium children's apparel and lifestyle brands who understands how to build signature products, manage development calendars, and partner effectively with factories to bring exceptional products to market.

Key ResponsibilitiesDesign Leadership & Collection Development

• Lead the design and development of seasonal collections across baby, girls, boys, family, accessories, swim, sleepwear, and special projects.
• Create compelling seasonal concepts, mood boards, color palettes, prints, graphics, and trims.
• Develop commercially successful collections aligned with company growth objectives.
• Identify and build hero product franchises that can become signature categories for the brand.
• Maintain and evolve the overall brand aesthetic while ensuring consistency across categories.
• Present concepts and seasonal direction to leadership.

Product Development & Technical Design

• Create and oversee detailed tech packs, construction specifications, and development documentation.
• Manage sample development from initial prototype through production approval.
• Review fit samples, salesman samples, pre-production samples, and TOP samples.
• Provide detailed fit and construction comments to factories.
• Partner with factories to resolve technical issues and improve product quality.
• Ensure consistency in fit, sizing, construction, and overall product standards.

Production Management

• Own seasonal product development calendars and ensure milestones are achieved.
• Manage factory communication throughout the development and production process.
• Monitor production timelines and proactively identify risks or delays.
• Partner with suppliers to negotiate costs while maintaining quality standards.
• Review and approve production materials, trims, colors, and strike-offs.
• Track development and production status across all styles.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with operations, fulfillment, merchandising, and sales teams to ensure on-time delivery.
• Maintain margin targets while balancing quality and design objectives.
• Support forecasting and production planning discussions with leadership.
• Help establish scalable systems and SOPs for product development and production management.

Fabric, Trim & Material Development

• Source and develop fabrics, trims, embroidery techniques, and special finishes.
• Build a library of core fabrics and materials for long-term brand consistency.
• Identify opportunities for exclusive materials and signature brand details.
• Ensure all materials meet required testing and compliance standards.

Trend, Consumer & Competitive Analysis

• Research children's lifestyle, fashion, resort, gifting, and specialty retail trends.
• Analyze competitors and identify whitespace opportunities.
• Translate consumer insights into new products and categories.
• Stay informed on evolving children's apparel market trends and consumer preferences.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with merchandising, ecommerce, sales, marketing, and operations teams.
• Support wholesale market preparation and seasonal line reviews.
• Participate in key account meetings and strategic planning sessions when needed.
• Collaborate with leadership on long-term product strategy and category expansion.

Qualifications Required

• 7 years of apparel design and product development experience.
• Significant experience within premium children's apparel, children's lifestyle, resort, heritage, or family lifestyle brands.
• Strong understanding of children's fit, sizing, safety requirements, and construction.
• Proven experience managing overseas factory relationships.
• Strong technical design and garment construction expertise.
• Experience creating tech packs and overseeing development through production.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple seasons and categories simultaneously.
• Work Location: In person (possibly hybrid, partial remote for the right candidate)