Designer II, Women's Apparel

Women's Apparel Designer

At L.L.Bean, we believe the outdoors brings out the best in all of us. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging and creating safe, inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome—both here and Outside. We value individual differences and are dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment where everyone can bring the best of their experience and talents and truly thrive.

Bring your passion for women's apparel, outdoor inspiration, and timeless style to L.L.Bean. We're looking for a creative Women's Apparel Designer to join our talented team in Freeport, Maine—where iconic product design meets an authentic outdoor lifestyle. If you're energized by creating beautiful, brand-right apparel and inspired by the opportunity to live and work in Maine, we'd love to hear from you!

The Designer II helps shape the product aesthetic for L.L.Bean's apparel, including color, pattern, silhouette, fabric and trim direction. This role partners with Product Development and Merchandising to research market trends, define seasonal concepts, create color palettes, and develop brand-right designs that support commercial product strategies.

• Contribute to the seasonal product vision by developing compelling concepts, key item strategies, and collection narratives that align with brand objectives and consumer needs.
• Create and communicate seasonal direction through inspiration boards, trend storytelling, color palettes, fabric direction, and silhouette strategies.
• Translate market opportunities into commercially viable product concepts that balance innovation, brand positioning, and business goals.
• Support line architecture and assortment planning to ensure cohesive collections and clear product differentiation.
• Partner with Merchandising and Product Development to identify whitespace opportunities, emerging categories, and growth areas within the assortment.

• Monitor consumer behavior, cultural shifts, competitive landscapes, and emerging market trends to inform product direction.
• Research and interpret color, fabric, silhouette, and styling trends relevant to the target customer and brand positioning.
• Leverage trend forecasting services, retail analysis, social insights, and marketplace data to identify opportunities and risks.
• Participate in domestic and international market travel, trade shows, vendor visits, and competitive shopping to gather inspiration and industry insights.
• Evaluate competitor assortments and best practices to help refine product strategy and elevate design execution.

• Design and develop apparel products that deliver on brand aesthetics, functionality, quality, fit, and performance expectations.
• Create detailed design sketches, technical flats, and presentation materials that clearly communicate product intent.
• Select and develop fabrics, trims, washes, prints, graphics, and construction details that support design objectives and target costs.
• Partner with Product Development, Technical Design, and sourcing teams throughout the development process to ensure products are commercially executable.
• Develop and maintain product information, color approvals, material specifications, and design documentation within PLM systems.
• Review and approve lab dips, strike-offs, prints, trims, and prototype samples to ensure design integrity and quality standards.
• Collaborate with Graphic Design and Print partners to develop distinctive surface design, pattern, and branding elements.

• Participate in fittings and product reviews, providing feedback on fit, styling, comfort, and overall consumer experience.
• Ensure product solutions meet the intended end use, performance requirements, and aesthetic goals.
• Champion consistency and cohesion across collections while introducing fresh ideas, styling details, and seasonal updates.
• Maintain a strong understanding of apparel construction, materials, and manufacturing capabilities to drive high-quality product outcomes.

• Build strong partnerships across Design, Merchandising, Product…