Design Director: Kids’ Fashion Brand Strategy Lead

Description

Haddad is a privately held family business with over 100 years of experience in the children’s apparel & accessories industry. A leader in the industry, Haddad Brands is the exclusive global licensee for the most iconic brands in the world, including Nike, Jordan, Converse, Hurley, Levi’s, Polo, Abercrombie and Fitch, Lacoste, and Huggies. Supported by a team of professionals skilled in design, sourcing, production, sales, marketing & distribution of premium quality children’s wear, Haddad distributes globally to 100+ countries and maintains sales and sourcing offices in 22 cities globally, including New York, Paris, Hilversum, Shanghai, Egypt, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Montreal.

Overview:

The Design Director will define and oversee the strategy, vision, and execution for an independent business unit or department.

Key Accountabilities:

• Partner with cross functional management to drive company’s strategic initiatives
• Direct the overall design process to ensure that the design team is successfully meeting business needs according to the design time-and-action calendar
• Work closely with licensor to understand the brand aesthetic and seasonal strategy to effectively lead and present concept and strategy to the design team in developing clothing lines that are trend right, meet sales needs and are brand appropriate
• Conduct market research and identify current trends and competitive data as it relates to their assigned brand to establish key objectives for the season
• Partner with Sales and Merchandising teams to conceptualize and launch clothing lines for several levels of distribution
• Manage the division’s store purchased samples, sampling, design supply and travel calendar
• Partner with Creative Services team as needed to refresh the showrooms accordingly
• Travel to factories to oversee development of samples and production
• Set the vision for department/showroom merchandising for seasonal markets
• Attend trade shows and industry events to remain current in the market
• Supervise design staff and provide direction and management throughout the design process
• Recruit top talent, train, develop and motivate team members
• Special projects as assigned

Requirements

Required Skills/Abilities/

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design
• 10+ years of experience in the fashion industry (children’s wear knowledge a must)
• Ability to travel as needed
• Strong communication, presentation, and organizational skills
• Must be a strategic thinker, persuasive and collaborative
• Proven ability to lead and develop a team of designers
• Brand appropriate aesthetic

Consistent in-office presence is vital to the role as it is for all Haddad Brands team members, so that we all have a full appreciation, aesthetically and tactilely, of the qualities that define our brand partners’ products and set them apart from their competitors.