Associate Designer - Women's & Kids Concept & Color
About The Position
The Associate Designer - Concept & Color supports J.Crew’s Women’s and Kids design teams in shaping each season’s color story and creative direction. Reporting to the Concept & Color Designer, this role supports seasonal creative direction through research, storyboarding, palette development, and deck building. The Associate Designer translates research and inspiration into polished visual presentations that guide the design process and maintain color inspiration and accuracy from initial concept through final product. The role welcomes candidates from varied design, fashion, and creative backgrounds who are curious, detail-driven, and eager to grow within a collaborative team. It includes supporting seasonal concept and color development, maintaining color libraries and standards, collaborating with internal teams and suppliers, and guiding the Color Librarian Assistant.
Requirements
- 1–3 years of experience in color, concept, graphic, or design support within fashion, apparel, or a related creative field; internships and freelance work count.
- Proficiency in Miro and Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
- Understanding of a PLM system.
- Working knowledge of color theory, color systems such as Pantone, and color matching.
- Strong visual eye and ability to translate research and trends into clear, polished presentations.
- Highly detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to manage multiple projects and seasonal deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, a collaborative approach, and openness to feedback.
- Ability to accurately distinguish and match color.
Nice To Haves
- Experience creating digital renderings or CAD for apparel or accessories.
- Experience in women’s or kids’ apparel design.
- Experience guiding or mentoring interns or junior teammates.
Responsibilities
- Conduct seasonal inspiration and research, including trend, market, and competitive analysis, to shape Women’s and Kids’ seasonal concepts.
- Assist in building and pitching concepts and color stories for design, merchandising, and production partners.
- Build and refine concept decks and creative visuals using Miro and Adobe Creative Suite.
- Build and evolve concept boards, decks, and color palettes throughout the season as the collection develops.
- Conduct comp shopping and color and material sourcing to support concepts and palettes, and report on trends.
- Manage and maintain color palettes, the color library, and color systems across seasons and divisions, keeping color names, numbers, and standards consistent and managing the library and standards in PLM.
- Match and evaluate colors against standards and vendor submissions using color systems such as Pantone and CSI.
- Partner with internal teams and suppliers to support color requests and meet approval timelines.
- Guide and delegate work to the Color Librarian Assistant, helping prioritize day-to-day color library maintenance, administrative needs, seasonal deadlines, and color requests.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, prescription, and vision insurance for eligible associates and family members.
- Family planning support, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support.
- Fitness discounts and medical travel benefits.
- Associate discount across J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell.
- Hybrid work model.
- Summer Fridays, with the office closing at 1:00 PM every Friday during summer months.
- Philanthropic community support through the J.Crew Cares Program.
- PTO package.
- Winter break at the end of December for eligible full-time Home Office associates.
- Opportunity for a bonus.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
