Womenswear Brand Styling Lead

Womenswear Brand Styling Lead

Department: Digital

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Head Office, Chelsea House

Reporting To: Natalie Fuorvito

The Brand Styling Lead is responsible for curating and maintaining a cohesive visual identity across all touchpoints for the retailer. This role combines creative vision with strategic leadership, ensuring that all campaigns, galleries, and e-commerce styling reflect the brand’s aesthetic, resonate with the target customer, and drive engagement and sales.

Key Responsibilities

Styling & Creative Leadership

• Execute the brand’s styling aesthetic and guidelines across campaign shoots, galleries, and e-commerce content.
• Develop and implement clear styling guidelines and standards to ensure consistency and alignment across all team outputs.
• Act as the primary point of contact for styling consistency within your division (WW).
• Oversee and direct photoshoots, ensuring all outfits, accessories, and styling reflect the brand’s target customer and current trends.
• Collaborate with photographers, art directors, and studio teams to deliver visually compelling assets.
• Use styling to communicate the brand’s ethos, positioning, and customer identity.
• Continuously monitor best-selling products and customer behaviour, adjusting leading images and styling as needed to maximize conversion.

Trend & Market Insight

• Research fashion trends, competitor activity, and customer insights to inform styling decisions.
• Work closely with buying and merchandising teams to ensure styled looks reflect current stock, key items, and commercial priorities.

Team Management & Mentorship

• Manage, mentor, and support a team of stylists and junior creatives, setting them up for success in the studio.
• Ensure wardrobe and styling resources are up to date, relevant, and accessible for all team members.

E-Commerce & Studio Operations

• Conduct daily checks of e-commerce contact sheets, identifying shots that may require reshoots or adjustments.
• Deliver weekly styling updates, reporting on what has been delivered in the studio and progress against briefs.
• Drive elevated gallery styling for e-commerce, working from the Head of Brand Styling brief.
• Ensure mood boards are prepared for every styling session, communicating inspiration, direction, and product stories clearly.

Skills & Experience

• Strong fashion styling eye with excellent understanding of trends, commercial dressing, and brand positioning.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to manage, mentor, and inspire a styling team.
• Excellent collaboration skills across creative, buying, merchandising, and e-commerce teams.
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Passionate about delivering innovative, on-brand styling that drives engagement and sales.

We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.

This role is based at our Head Office in West London. Check us out here on a map.

What we can offer you:

• Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
• Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through Reward Gateway!
• A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & cafe to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
• Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!
• Flexible working is a given, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
• Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
• Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
• A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.
• The choice to opt in for…