Free People Senior Designer - Sweaters

Urban Outfitters•Philadelphia, PA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Free People is seeking a Senior Sweaters Designer to lead the development process of design projects supporting the Free People Collection Sweaters category. The Designer actively participates in designing seasonal collections, from initial concept research to knit stitch and pattern newness as well as execution on designs and presentations. The role is key in ensuring that designs and resulting product are cohesive and on-trend for the Free People customer, touching several aesthetics across our Femme, Craft, Sensual and Modern customer segments. A successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the sweater category across yarns and knitwear construction and designs, with a vision for pushing fashion through new shapes, details, patterns, and techniques. The ideal candidate is passionate about knitting, fashion, and trends, focused on pushing newness and product elevation to bring unique design ideas. This role requires relocation to Philadelphia and the ability to work on-site at our world-class headquarters 3-5 days per week.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design with related sweater knitting field experience strongly preferred.
9+ Years of experience in Sweater Design.
Deep knowledge and expertise in yarns and sweaters materials.
Great understanding of Sweater process development timeline and execution.
Full comprehension of fully fashioned sweater construction and fit.
Strong technical knowledge in sweater design and production process: yarn qualities and sizes, as well as knitting techniques, stitches, and construction.
Expert knowledge of knitting and sweater garment construction, knit machines, yarns, trims, and washes.
Ability to mock full garments from patterns, inspiration, or draping on a form that can be modeled in presentations.
Passion for Pattern and color; ability to translate and innovate new ways to express seasonal pattern direction.
Advanced understanding of yarn textiles, garment construction/fit, or raw materials & product production (including sweaters yarns & knitting constructions and sweater fabrications).
Creativity is a must; strength in pushing new ideas, silhouettes, and design concepts.
Demonstrate the vision to identify trends in their early stages and understand their impact on fashion sweaters.
Ability to research and report on industry trend and yarn direction and knitwear innovations approximately 9-12 months ahead of season.
Excellent hand sketching and CAD skills in Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator.
AI knowledge/experience would be a plus.
Strong project management skills and ability to manage the whole design process for multiple projects at different production stages.
Strong sense of organizational skills and passion for a fast-speed environment.
Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Ability to respond to business objectives with creative, innovative, and cost-effective design solutions.
Great team player with excellent communication skills to effectively collaborate with partners in Design, Buying, PD, and Production.
Excellent communication skills to communicate ideas and inspirations to others and to interact with Designers, Buyers, and other Cross Functional partners.
Proficient in Google platforms (Slides/Docs/Sheets/Gmail).
Ability to work on site 3-5 days per week at our World Headquarters in Philadelphia, PA.

Nice To Haves

Some experience with managing 1-2 team members would be added value.

Responsibilities

Work closely with the Senior Director on the design creation, development, and execution of own brand product across Free People Collection Sweaters with a strong focus on bringing in newness in shapes and strong fashion point of view.
Recognize and accurately forecast fashion and cultural trends and understand how they relate to the Free People customer.
Collaborate, brainstorm, and present monthly trend direction for the category alongside the Design Director.
Support the seasonal development calendar for both Retail & Wholesale deliveries.
Identify global emerging trends in concept/stitch/pattern and yarn.
Create and execute new layout ideas for patterns, stitches, and garment construction.
Manage development and execution of all design packages alongside the Design Director and participate in all follow-up communication related to each package in partnership with the Design Coordinator, Product Development team, and Technical Design teams.
Review samples for fit and construction.
Attend fittings and clearly communicate to technical teams any adjustments.
Send timely comments to the factory pertaining to any design-related adjustments.
Communicate stitch and construction ideas through written comments and technical sketches.
Conduct design research and stay up-to-date with industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations that can relate to the Free People target customer.
Contribute creatively to the design process, including sketching new ideas with Procreate and Adobe programs (Illustrator, Photoshop), researching new trends and ideas, and utilizing AI platforms (such as Midjourney) to enhance creative research.
Create and execute original knitwear ideas and designs, working with in-house knitters and overseas partners to present design visions in key design meetings.
Thrive in a fast-paced environment, constantly pushing new ideas and concepts, and responding to business objectives with creative and innovative designs to move the category forward.