Associate Designer

Job Description

Job Description

Apparel and Swimwear Designer

Location: Charleston, SC (Hybrid)
Department: Production

About

Our client is a premium family swimwear and lifestyle brand built for sun-filled days and the little moments in between. They design thoughtful, high-quality pieces for the whole family, from baby to adult, with an aesthetic that's classic, clean and detail-obsessed. The team is small, fast-moving and deeply invested in the product they put into the world. If you love clever prints, well-made things and a job where your work shows up on real families at the beach, you'll feel at home here.

Specific Duties / Responsibilities

Help shape and guide seasonal design direction, bringing forward new ideas, silhouettes, details, color, print and fabrication opportunities. Proactively identify opportunities and challenge ideas to evolve and elevate the product assortment while remaining true to the brand's core aesthetic.

Create original prints, graphics, and seasonal artworks that are fresh, distinctive and commercially relevant. Modify existing prints through recoloring, resizing, scaling, layout adjustments and adding texture and depth.

Develop seasonal color palettes and artwork presentations.

Create and maintain seasonal line plans and assortment boards.

Research adult, children and baby apparel and swimwear, as well as fabrications, trims and prints to inspire new collections.

Prepare presentations for seasonal design reviews and roadmaps.

Responsible for creating seasonal developmental tech packs, including technical drawings with construction details, construction pages, and bill of materials pages.

Partner closely with the product development team in reviewing strike offs, lab dyes, trims and development samples and provide clear comments for overseas vendors.

Evaluate print and trim placement and sizing to ensure accurate proportions throughout the size range.

Help maintain organized design files, artwork libraries and seasonal documentation.

Ensure all artwork and tech packs are accurate, complete and production-ready while meeting development calendars.

Partner cross-functionally with product development, tech design and production teams.

Skills & Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or related field preferred.

4+ years of relevant apparel design experience.

Swimwear experience is strongly preferred; premium apparel, resort or lifestyle experience also valued.

Strong understanding of the brand's customer and ability to design with a strong awareness of the brand's aesthetic.

Strong portfolio demonstrating a distinct creative point of view and strong fashion sensibility required.

Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator is required and strong Photoshop skills preferred.

Experience in PLM systems a plus.

Experience creating production-ready technical artwork and tech packs.

Demonstrated ability to create original print designs and repeat patterns.

Clear and effective written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills.

Ability to manage multiple projects while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Perks

Hybrid role (in-office in Charleston and remote work environment)

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k)

Paid time off and company holidays

Generous employee discount on all of our client's products

A close-knit, collaborative team that moves fast and cares about the work

Direct exposure to every part of the design and production process, not siloed