Free People Senior Designer - Embellishment & Craft

Role Summary

Free People is seeking a Senior Designer for Femme Embellishment to lead and support the femme embellishment, embroidery and surface design for the Free People brand. This role is central to overseeing the creation and development of original artwork that reflects the unique style of the Free People customer. Effective management of deadlines and contribution to the growth of a dynamic team are crucial for success in this position. The focus will be on managing embroidery, embellishment and surface design for dresses and femme tops.

Role Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the Design Director to execute the seasonal textile vision. Be actively involved in the seasonal trend process, providing structured insights and supporting the Design Director to ensure the vision is realized. Keep up to date on embellishment, embroidery and craft trends.
• In collaboration with the Design Director, create seasonal craft sourcing packs based on the season’s trends.
• Launch vendor developments to get ahead on craft at the start of the season and push new materials and techniques.
• Work with design and buying teams to develop embellishments and embroideries for retail and wholesale divisions.
• Participate actively in design flow meetings, collaborating with print/graphics to show a cohesive story.
• Use traditional drawing, painting, and other artistic techniques, as well as Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate, and AI, to create artwork, layouts, and colorways that are on-brand and trend-appropriate.
• Hand mocking embroidery/embellishment is encouraged for trend presentations and technique references.  
• Develop seasonal print and surface design mood boards that reflect trends for embellishment, embroidery and craft, balancing customer-forward innovation with volume needs.
• Inspire and mentor your team by offering guidance, constructive feedback, and fostering a collaborative and innovative design environment.
• Conduct research, create specific artworks, and manage an associate designer to bring the Design Director’s vision to life.
• Source vintage textiles, swatches, and digital image libraries for inspiration to enhance original artwork designs.
• Utilize AI platforms to diversify and enhance artwork offerings.
• Stay current with fashion trends related to craft and color, incorporating them into designs while ensuring they remain fresh and brand-appropriate.
• Analyze & identify opportunities for growth in processes and within the team.
• Maintain organized file folders with established saving and naming conventions to facilitate easy access for teammates.
• Develop artwork layouts and provide colorways, collaborating with the color team to align with specific palettes.
• Work with product development and technical designers to set up engineered artworks. Generate CADs to communicate placement on garments and create technical packages for artwork to be sent to vendors and factories.

Role Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree in Textiles, Surface Design, Fine Art, Illustration or relate field preferred.
• 8-10 Years Experience preferred.
• Ability to work on site 3-5 days per week at our Home Office (Navy Yard) in Philadelphia, PA.
• Proven experience in embroidery, embellishment, craft and textile design with strong skills in hand drawing/painting and digital rendering.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate, Fresco, and NedGraphics.
• Competence in Microsoft Office 365.
• Experience and enthusiasm for creatively exploring AI platforms.
• Excellent communication skills with a flexible and positive attitude.
• Experience managing one or two direct reports.
• A creative mindset with a passion for surface design and trend.
• Hands on techniques: sewing, and embroidery/embellishment a plus.

 

The Perks

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! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits

EEO Statement

URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.