Director of Merchandising

Morilee New York is a premier global designer of bridal dresses and evening wear with a presence in over in 3,000 specialty stores. With a legacy spanning over seven decades, Morilee New York has become synonymous with excellence in design. From a small family business that started in the heart of New York City's garment district, to a global brand authority and leader in bridal and occasion wear, Morilee New York continues to set the standard of excellence into the future of bridal fashion.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Merchandising translates Morilee's creative vision into commercially successful global collections, serving as the central link between Design, Sales, Product Development, Production, Finance, and Marketing. The role supports both Morilee and Veni Infantino, giving each brand's collection the assortment strategy, pricing architecture, and go to market discipline that fits its market position. Domestic coverage spans the USA and Canada, with international reach across the UK, EU, and our distributor network. The Director of Merchandising works cross functionally every day, translating regional and account level feedback into a scalable global assortment for both brands. Hybrid: 4 Days in Office

DESIGN & MERCHANDISING STRATEGY

Own seasonal line plans and assortment architecture across assigned categories for Morilee and Veni Infantino, twice a year. Partner with Design to translate each brand's creative vision into commercially successful global collections. Determine optimal style count, silhouettes, fabrics, colors, price points, and the balance of core, carryover, and new styles. Identify assortment gaps, overdevelopment, and white space opportunities across both brands. Lead pagination and final collection editing with the Design team, twice a year. Maintain the seasonal merchandising and product development calendar.

COMMERCIAL ANALYSIS & PRODUCT PERFORMANCE

Conduct weekly global selling analysis by category, style, region, and account. Lead a monthly global business review with Design, Sales, and leadership. Identify winners, underperformers, and emerging trends, and recommend specific actions. Track sales per style, new style hit rate, carryover productivity, and SKU efficiency. Own product lifecycle recommendations: continue, modify, replenish, or discontinue. Conduct ongoing competitive product, pricing, and market positioning reviews. Develop pricing architecture across opening, core, and premium price points for both brands. Partner with Finance and Product Development to establish target margins before line finalization. Review costing and product complexity, and identify opportunities to improve margin without compromising design intent. Monitor assortment productivity and profitability against plan.

GLOBAL PLANNING & SALES PARTNERSHIP

Cover domestic markets (USA and Canada) and international markets (UK, EU, and distributor partners). Establish structured feedback loops with Sales Directors, key accounts, and international teams. Translate regional needs into scalable global assortment opportunities across Morilee and Veni Infantino. Partner with Sales on product stories, selling points, and post market feedback. Distinguish individual account requests from broader commercial opportunities. Lead product presentation, collection flow, and merchandising strategy for key markets. Partner with Design and Sales on runway and showroom presentation and product storytelling. Oversee show setup, organization, and merchandising standards. Attend key domestic and international trade shows as required. Lead the post market product review and convert customer feedback into collection actions. MERCHANDISING OPERATIONS & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP Oversee product descriptions, style numbering, dress tags, and line sheet readiness. Oversee trademark and copyright coordination and the merchandising library. Ensure systems, iPad, and product data readiness for all trade shows. Partner cross functionally with Design, Product Development, Production, Finance, Sales, and Marketing. Manage and mentor the merchandising team, setting clear priorities, deadlines, and accountability.

SUCCESS METRICS

Sales & margin performance: Sales vs. plan and gross margin, by brand Style & SKU productivity: Sales per style and SKU efficiency Assortment productivity: New style hit rate and carryover productivity Assortment efficiency: Seasonal style count and assortment efficiency relative to plan Collection & market readiness: On time collection delivery and market readiness Category, region & account performance: Performance tracked by category, region, and key account

QUALIFICATIONS

7+ years in merchandising within bridal, apparel, or fashion, including experience owning a full seasonal line plan from concept through market. Experience merchandising more than one brand or collection concurrently preferred, given this role's shared coverage of Morilee and Veni Infantino. Strong analytical skills, with a track record of translating sell through data into assortment and pricing decisions. Working knowledge of ERP systems (AS/400 experience a plus), including running sell-through, inventory, and style-level reports. Experience partnering with Finance and Product Development on costing, margin targets, and profitability. Comfortable working across domestic and international markets, including UK, EU, and distributor relationships. Experience leading trade show presentation and collection storytelling. Proven people leadership, with experience managing and mentoring a merchandising team. Strong organizational and calendar management skills, with a track record of keeping seasonal timelines on track across multiple cross functional partners. Approximately 30% travel required, primarily for key domestic and international trade shows. #J-18808-Ljbffr Morilee New York