What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sr. Denim Designer position at PISTOLA Denim?
About Us:
Founded in 2013 by Grace Na, Pistola is a Los Angeles-based brand built on luxury-level construction and a street-smart, utilitarian sensibility. As part of KNG (Pistola and Daze), we create premium, functional pieces designed to work as hard as the women who wear them. Our identity is rooted in a decade of evolution, consistently prioritizing quality and ease in every silhouette.
Position Overview:
We’re looking for a hands-on, elevated Senior Denim Designer to lead the creative development of our women’s denim line. This is a high-impact role that blends creativity, technical expertise, and leadership. You’ll work closely with the Design Director and cross-functional partners to concept, design, and deliver premium denim collections that feel modern, trend-relevant, and uniquely ours.
What You’ll Do:
- Collaborate with the Creative and Design Directors to set the seasonal tone, trend direction, and product vision for the denim category
- Present collection concepts through trend analysis, mood boards, wash and fabric recommendations, and key item stories
- Research global runway, street, and market trends to ensure alignment with brand vision and customer needs
- Lead fabric development in partnership with domestic and international denim mills; stay ahead of fabric and wash innovation
- Oversee wash development with overseas vendors and internal wash tech teams—providing direction and comments throughout
- Own design from sketch to final fit, ensuring silhouette, fabric, wash, trim, and construction align with brand DNA
- Guide fittings, problem-solve production and technical issues, and maintain consistency across styles
- Collaborate with the RTW design team to maintain a cohesive visual story across all categories
- Partner closely with product development, merchandising, tech, and production to ensure calendar milestones are hit
- Ensure product is designed to hit margin targets; understand pricing structures and costing impact
- Provide leadership and creative direction to junior design team members as needed
- Maintain awareness of competitive landscape and customer behavior to keep the collection relevant and aspirational
- Manage seasonal development and sample budgets with accountability and accuracy
- Identify areas of process improvement and proactively implement efficiencies in the design workflow
Who You Are:
- 8-10 years of experience designing women’s premium and contemporary denim.
- Elevated aesthetic and ability to interpret trend through a contemporary, commercially successful lens
- Strong knowledge of denim fabrications, wash development, fit execution, and trim sourcing
- Experience partnering directly with overseas vendors and denim mills
- Proven success leading the design process from concept through production
- Ability to maintain both creative direction and calendar accountability
- Entrepreneurial mindset and a calm, solutions-oriented approach to problem solving
- Strong collaboration skills across design, PD, merchandising, and production teams
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Prior team management experience a plus
- Travel as needed for fabric sourcing, vendor visits, and trend inspiration trips
- Able to work in office Monday - Friday
Salary : $100,000 - $120,000