Design Manager – (Male Apparel) – Based in Shanghai
Our client is a leading European Apparel organization with a global presence in over 25 countries, and over 3000 stores globally. Known to be a fast fashion leader in male apparel sector, they are now seeking a Design Manager – (Male Apparel) to join their ever-growing business. This position is strategically located in Shanghai (China), and will report directly to the Brand Director.
The right person for this role must have a proven track record with different brands in fashion industry. A conceptual thinker who thrives on turning a creative design challenges into commercial crafted designs. You will take responsibility for inspiring and motivating your team to produce insightful and creative product solutions for a male target audience living in Greater China.
Responsibilities: - Design & Product Development
- Leading a team of 8 – 10 Designers / Senior Designers
- Be a creative leader, drive innovation & commercial newness in your categories. Guide your teams to recognize the latest Asian & global trends
- Lead your team to recognize the key selling point of all garments, teach them how to improve or enhance the original inspiration
- Provide coaching and problem-solving support for the team to enable them to perform at their best in fittings, ensure that they recap & can give clear directions
- Competent at driving a balanced & structured research that covers not only the trends & KOLS but also the market leaders, fabrics, details & any business opportunities that support your categories.
- Lead your teams in sample buying & inspiration trips - hunt for the new, cool & commercial products & be an expert at facilitating the communication between your teams to bring out the best ideas & concepts
- Oversee & drive the fabric research & upgrade your categories. Regularly visit the fabric fairs, bring innovation & build up your team’s fabric library
- Oversee the library of finishing & detail ideas
- Oversee that the existing Core Library, seasonally meet with the Buying teams to form a strategic updated the offers
- Optimize workflow and product development processes to ensure the team delivers creative and innovative designs, ensuring all the best sellers are covered, and the offer is based on strong research and innovation
- Assist Senior Management to lead the Development Meetings
- Ensure your Designers are prepared with their data, present their garments convincingly & can create & resolve problems on the spot
Requirements:
- Degree educated in Fashion Design, or related major, ideally from a fashion school
- Process a strong system knowledge - Illustrator, Photoshop, Power-point & PLM
- Strong knowledge about Chinese / Asian fashion market, including fast fashion e-commerce market is a MUST
- Must have at least 8 years’ experiences in young/fashion menswear apparel sector
- Experiences in build-up brand/new categories will be much preferred.
- Experiences in fast paced working environment can adapt to high pressure and fashion working speed.
- A strong portfolio of work demonstrating successful leadership and creative achievements
- Fluently in English written and oral communication is a must
- Based in Shanghai, China
- Internationally based are also welcome to apply, relocation package is also available for suitable candidates
Type of Person we are looking for
You work well with motivating people and build high performance teams. You are able to use your fashion sense to improve the product look and quality. You love challenges and are result driven but keeping eye for detail. With your entrepreneurial character you spot new business opportunities. You like to travel and able to bring your team to a higher level. Your goal is to be creative and design and develop the best collections ever.
For this role we are looking for someone with an international background, ideally experienced in working within fashion brands.
Interested candidates should apply directly along with their portfolio for further review, suitable candidates will be contacted directly for interview.