HEAD OF DESIGN | LUXURY WOMENSWEAR
Globally recognised luxury womenswear brand - Sydney HQ
Lead the creative direction as Head of Design, driving aspirational collections that blend modern tailoring with timeless design.
The Head of Design will be responsible for developing ideas and executing product design in line with the conceptual direction for the season. The Head of Design will lead the Designers and Product Developers to initiate and develop concepts each season that are reflective of the creative vision and luxury fashion aesthetic.
Why join this brand?
Shape the brands collections and join in a pivotal time of growth - expansion of categories, exciting collaborations and much more.
Work for a globally recognised Luxury brand
Collaborate with incredible team
Your close working relationships:
You will have 4 direct reports in this position. You will work closely with Designers, Product Developers, Garment Techs & Patternmakers, as well as other team members across marketing, content, social, sales and retail.
If you're interested in hearing more about this position, please send your CV / portfolio to connie@whointhezoo.com.au to organise a confidential chat.
Hiring Consultant: CONNIE
Please note that only those applicants who fit the brief will be contacted in relation to their application.
RESPONSIBILITIES +
- Responsible for design and development throughout entire product life cycle.
- Set the direction from research and sourcing for each season
- Set the seasonal palette alongside the Creative Director and Fashion Director
- Design and CAD seasonal silhouettes
- Oversee tech pack and factory process
- Attend all fitting sessions for proto & sms
- Responsible for costings
- Work collectively with the Design team on any upcoming projects/collaborations
- Present seasonal collections that accommodate Northern and Southern requirements for styles, colour and price points in line with range plan and agency call outs.
- Arrange pre-sale visual merchandise designs into monthly drop plans, based on delivery and seasonality in line with the design story.
- Work closely with the National Retail Manager with weekly window merchandising for approval.
- Prepare pre-sales sales book with any styling notes and communicate changes.
- Work with sales team on post shoot handover both internationally and locally.
- Arrange styling for campaign/lookbook and ensure all shoot preparations are complete including outstanding samples, garments are altered correctly and shoot ready.
- Responsible for the performance of the Design/Product Development team, ensuring that career development is nurtured and supported.
- Arrange Design weekly catch ups with the team to ensure communication is transparent and weekly tasks are completed.
- Minimise employee turnover by staying connected to your team, managing and motivating employees to reach and often exceed KPIs.
- Responsible for creating an inclusive, workplace culture, providing challenges and stretch targets for team members while coaching, mentoring and developing.
- Promote a culture based on teamwork, communication, performance and continuous improvement.
REQUIREMENTS +
- Experience in luxury fashion design, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- Expertise in womenswear, particularly in tailoring, eveningwear, and refined ready-to-wear.
- Proven leadership skills with the ability to mentor, motivate, and guide creative teams.
- Deep technical knowledge of fabrics, garment construction, and finishing.
- A collaborative mindset, with experience working alongside cross-functional teams.
- A global perspective on fashion trends and luxury consumer behaviour.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, both visually and verbally.