Girls Associate Designer

Associate Designer – Children’s Apparel

Location:

New York, NY

Salary Range:
Depends on Experience

Department:
Design / Product Development

Reports To:

Design Director / VP of Design

We are seeking a talented and experienced Associate Designer to join our New York design team. This role is responsible for creating commercially strong, trend-right apparel collections from concept through final development. The ideal candidate has strong technical design skills, excellent taste level, and the ability to balance creativity with business needs, costing, production timelines, and customer requirements.

The Associate Designer will work closely with merchandising, production, sourcing, technical design, and sales teams to develop seasonal collections that meet brand direction, customer expectations, and delivery deadlines.

• Design & Concept Development
  • Research seasonal trends, color, fabric, graphics, trims, silhouettes, and market direction.
  • Create seasonal design concepts, mood boards, color palettes, and presentation boards.
  • Design apparel collections that are brand-appropriate, customer-focused, and commercially viable.
  • Develop original sketches, CADs, prints, graphics, and layouts using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
  • Build cohesive seasonal assortments across multiple classifications.
• Product Development
  • Prepare detailed design tech packs, including sketches, construction details, fabrications, trims, artwork, and colorways.
  • Partner with product development and production teams to ensure designs are achievable within target cost and timeline.
  • Review lab dips, strike-offs, trims, artwork submissions, and sample submits.
  • Attend fittings and provide comments related to styling, proportion, construction, and overall design intent.
  • Track design changes from initial concept through final approval.
• Customer & Market Focus
  • Understand customer needs, retail pricing, margin requirements, and competitive market positioning.
  • Shop the market regularly and provide insight on trends, key items, and competitive product.
  • Prepare customer-specific design presentations and line sheets as needed.
  • Adjust designs based on buyer feedback while maintaining brand integrity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with merchandising, sales, technical design, sourcing, and overseas factories.
  • Communicate clearly with domestic and overseas teams regarding design direction and sample corrections.
  • Support calendar deadlines for seasonal line development, market appointments, sample approvals, and production handoff.
  • Mentor associate and assistant designers as needed.

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of apparel design experience, preferably in children's apparel, girls sportswear, or related categories.
• Strong understanding of garment construction, fabric, trims, fit, color, and print development.
• Excellent Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills required.
• PLM, ERP, or product lifecycle software experience preferred.
• Strong sketching, CAD, presentation, and technical package skills.
• Ability to manage multiple seasons, customers, and deadlines at once.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with overseas factories.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong sense of trend, color, proportion, and commercial product design.

• Apparel design and seasonal concept development
• Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
• Tech pack creation
• Print, pattern, and graphics development
• Fabric and trim knowledge
• Sample review and fit participation
• Trend research and competitive shopping
• Customer presentation preparation
• Cross-functional communication
• Calendar and deadline management

• Experience in children's apparel, girls' fashion, baby/toddler, or licensed apparel.
• Knowledge of overseas production, especially China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, or similar sourcing regions.
• Experience working with private label, branded, or licensed product.