Director of Design, Dresses

Job Title: Director of Design, Dresses

Location: New York City, Midtown Manhattan, Fashion District (On-Site)

Department: Design, Dresses

About G-III Apparel Group:

G-III excels at bringing excitement and confidence to customers through the fashion we create. We are global experts in design, sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and marketing, which enables us to fuel the growth of a substantial portfolio of brands. With more than 30 licensed and owned brands, including some of the most sought-after names in global fashion, our success is driven by our team's entrepreneurial spirit and our deep relationships across the industry.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and creative Director of Design to lead the development of compelling, commercially successful women's dress collections. This role will be responsible for defining and executing the creative direction, overseeing the full design lifecycle from initial concept through production, and ensuring each collection reflects established design standards while supporting seasonal merchandising and business objectives.

The Director of Design will serve as both a creative leader and strategic partner, mentoring design talent, collaborating across departments, and translating seasonal trends into cohesive dress collections that balance creativity, fabrication, fit, and commercial relevance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the seasonal design vision for women's dresses in alignment with brand identity, customer needs, and market positioning.
• Research current and emerging fashion trends and forecast their evolution to inform seasonal collection development.
• Apply findings from research, including blogs, magazines, stores, street style, vintage exploration, and competitive market analysis, to develop seasonally relevant and cohesive collections.
• Build assortments that are well balanced across silhouette, fabrication, color, print, and overall merchandising strategy.
• Oversee the end-to-end design process from seasonal concept and initial sketching through final sample and production.
• Communicate seasonal concepts and design intent to overseas factories and request preliminary treatments, mock-ups, and development samples.
• Generate and oversee technical packages with clear silhouette, garment construction, fabrication, trim, and design information for overseas factories.
• Review prototypes, conduct fittings, and communicate design adjustments to overseas factories through photographs, specification notes, and diagram sketches.
• Evaluate collection development and sketch, revise, or refabricate styles as needed to support seasonal objectives, line plans, and SKU counts.
• Partner with mills, suppliers, and factories to source materials and develop innovative fabrics, trims, prints, and treatments.
• Ensure designs translate into high-quality garments that meet established fit, fabrication, construction, and design standards.
• Partner closely with Merchandising, Product Development, Technical Design, Production, Sales, and other cross-functional teams to ensure alignment between creative vision and commercial strategy.
• Support the Merchandising team and Senior Vice President of Design during seasonal introductions and collection presentations.
• Present seasonal concepts and collections to senior leadership and incorporate feedback into final assortments.
• Follow garments through production with Production Managers, ensuring correct development and color allocation are applied to each body.
• Field merchandising requests and respond to evolving business needs throughout the season.
• Uphold design consistency across collections to strengthen overall product identity.
• Lead, coach, and develop members of the Design team, fostering collaboration, accountability, and creative excellence.
• Manage design resources and budgets while supporting established financial objectives.
• Continuously explore new design techniques, materials, fabrications, and opportunities for product innovation.

Who You Are:

• A visionary creative leader with extensive knowledge of women's dresses and a balance of artistry and business acumen.
• A strategic thinker with a strong understanding of the women's fashion market and the ability to translate trends into commercially relevant products.
• A mentor who empowers design teams through guidance, collaboration, and clear creative direction.
• A collaborative leader who builds strong partnerships across Merchandising, Product Development, Technical Design, Production, Sales, and overseas teams.
• A confident communicator who can clearly articulate seasonal concepts and design direction to executive leadership.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and able to manage multiple seasonal priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Apparel Design, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in women's fashion design, including leadership experience.
• High-end or contemporary design background with extensive knowledge of women's dresses.
• Proven expertise in apparel design and development, including fabrications, fit, garment construction, pattern drafting, draping, and print design.
• Experience across retail and wholesale product development environments.
• Strong understanding of seasonal collection development, line planning, and SKU management.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Strong eye for color, trend, silhouette, fabrication, and detail.
• Experience collaborating with global vendors, mills, factories, and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent organizational, communication, presentation, and project management skills.
• CV/Resume and work samples (Portfolio URL) required for initial consideration.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k)
• PTO and company holidays
• Employee discounts

The pay range for this position is: $125,000 – $190,000 per year.

Please note that the foregoing compensation information is a good-faith assessment associated with this position only and is provided pursuant to the New York City Salary Transparency Law.

G-III Apparel Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

About G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. |

G-III's owned brands include DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Wilsons Leather, Vilebrequin, Sonia Rykiel, G.H. Bass, Andrew Marc, Eliza J., G-III Sports and more. G-III has fashion licenses under Starter, French Connection, Cole Haan, Dockers, Guess?, Kenneth Cole, Levi's, Vince Camuto and more. G-III also operates retail stores for the DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld Paris and Donna Karan brands.