Technical Apparel Designer

Description

As a Technical Designer, you will use your advanced technical design skills to interpret creative concepts into viable development specifications for each prototype in either 3D or 2D, using defined images, block reference, grade rules, construction, and measurement detail to generate accurate cost and sample prototypes that can be mass produced. You will work with design leadership and partner teams to ensure construction feasibility to meet price points and merchandising needs in accordance with the Timing & Action Calendar deadlines.

You should have proven ability to evaluate and provide feedback to achieve the ideal technical fit for the brand, gender and product categories assigned to this position. You will conduct competitive product analysis by gathering and compiling competitor information, present your findings, and follow up on outcomes. You will liaise with key partner teams, maintain a deep understanding of current fit and construction trends through travel, research and interaction with sales reps, customers and end users, and accurately judge color and provide improvement comments.

Unrivaled Teamwear serves as the parent company of Champion Teamwear, Gear for Sports, and Knights Apparel, each an industry leader in the sports and team apparel space. Our family of brands knows what goes into great decorated garments, using top‑quality fabrics and offering creative decoration options. Each brand offers customers a premier selection and exceptional service for all their sportswear needs, from t‑shirts and caps to fleece, performance wear, and outerwear.

• Own fit development and lead fit sessions
• Work with Creative Design & Brand Teams to define fit, shop for and analyze competitor fits, and present findings
• Provide construction options to enhance aesthetics or reduce costs/enable efficient production
• Develop both a physical and electronic block system—research fit models, forms, avatars
• Work with Country Managers to receive fits and resolve fit problems
• Document technical adjustments made to improve the garment
• Produce easily understood comparisons of our fit to be used by Brand & Sales
• Apply technical design skills in 2D or 3D execution, flat sketching, flat patterning, and garment construction
• Generate tech pack in PDM system
• Understand importance of blocks and appropriately adjust specs and shape based on fabrication
• Facilitate color development by reviewing in Spectrophotometer and/or Lightbox, commenting, logging and filing lab dip/bulk color/shade‑bands/strike‑offs/knit‑downs/trims; develop tracking tools as needed

• Demonstrated acumen and considered an internal expert for assigned product/brand
• Ability to create market‑appropriate product designs at key price points
• Adherence to the Timing & Action Calendars of multiple businesses that run parallel to each other
• Proven ability to identify trends and translate into market‑right product
• Communicate via e‑mail daily both internally and externally

• Develop technical sketches as needed
• Provide info for placement of fabrics and trims
• Add technical materials like interlinings, pellons, etc.
• Understand functionality of coding and maintain its integrity
• Responsible for overall completeness of information
• Track and communicate expectations on fits and sampling

• Responsible to bring up issues and potential solutions at the weekly Brand Management meetings
• Responsible to contribute to the agenda
• Responsible to bring relevant samples, material, etc. to these meetings as needed

• Ability to work independently and cooperatively in a diverse group
• Ability to identify and resolve opportunities within the organization for improvement
• Able to take on extra workload to ease burden of the entire team
• Able to troubleshoot technical design issues
• Responsible for analyzing existing systems, processes and tools to streamline the workload

• Conduct oneself in accordance to Corporate Values and show accuracy and competence in daily workload
• Be a good representative of the company in high level meetings/situations
• Maintain working area, samples and tools in…