Senior Designer, Knitwear

Join to apply for the Senior Designer, Knitwear role at St. John Knits

$/yr - $/yr

The Senior Designer, Knitwear will combine an innovative approach to textile development, with a practical view of the end-products as usable garments. The designer will collaborate in the management of the design & development of the SJK collection knitwear, as well as the MFO knitwear. They will contribute and collaborate with the SVP of Design, as well as the Design Team, in creative concept and design of all knitwear categories.

This will include collaborating on tear sheet research/ vintage research/ yarn selection/ textile development / illustration / technical sketching / artwork & layout development/ / tech pack creation, and teamwork with Product Development / Technical Design/ Woven Design & SVP all cross functional team members. This role reports into the SVP of Design.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Knitwear design from initial concept and development with a technical background
• Research and identify moods/ textiles/ silhouettes, and participate in inspirational overviews for each season
• Knitwear Research and Development – partner on seasonal yarn selection and development of textiles.
• Research trends and present sketches and swatches in line with design brief, ensure all designs are within target retail prices and within sample budget count
• Strong skills to co-present Design collection to Merchandising team, CMO and PD team. Strong ability to articulate concepts with or without swatches clearly to team partners
• Create 1st Technical Packages for all knitwear styles with sketch, detailed diagrams and colorways
• Attend all development fittings on knitwear styles and relay any fabric comments to factories. Also bring ideas and solutions to troubleshoot any issues presented in fittings
• Collaborate with design team members of other categories of the brand for cohesiveness of products
• Develop knitwear fabrics, color up prints, special trims, and styling details
• Work to ensure deadlines are met to reach company goals and objectives
• Collaborates cross departmental, Design & Manufacturing, to ensure knitwear design development is leading edge in the industry, aesthetically aligned with St. John design concepts, cost effective, and continually assessing and improving processes
• Travel internationally to yarn shows as needed.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• 10-15 years of experience in the apparel industry in knitwear design; women’s luxury a high plus
• Strong experience in yarn gauges, yarn qualities, machinery, and manufacturing of knitwear
• Concrete knowledge of garment construction, fit and execution
• Computer proficiency in Procreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator
• In professional experience traveled, sources & developed a network/contact base in the knitwear industry throughout the US, Europe, and the Far East
• Ability to speak other languages, in addition to English preferred

Mid-Senior level

Full-time

Design, Manufacturing, and Art/Creative

Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry, Retail Apparel and Fashion, and Online and Mail Order Retail

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)