Lead Designer

Lead Designer

LOCATION

New York, NY No Remote TYPE Direct Hire SALARY $150,000 - $180,000 / yr ID MO96-2755540 POSTED Jun 9, 2026 Lead Women's Contemporary Designer Occasion & Lifestyle Collection About the Brand We are an established women's contemporary fashion brand known for refined occasionwear, modern femininity, and elevated design. With a strong presence at leading retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, along with a growing direct-to-consumer platform, the brand continues to expand its reach and evolve into a full lifestyle destination. The Role We are seeking a visionary and detail-oriented Lead Designer to help define the next chapter of our brand. This individual will bring a distinctive creative perspective, strong market awareness, and the ability to translate inspiration into commercially successful collections. The ideal candidate has a sophisticated understanding of women's contemporary fashion, with a passion for luxurious fabrics, thoughtful prints, impactful color palettes, and flattering silhouettes. Experience designing elevated occasionwear and lifestyle collections is highly valued. Responsibilities Establish and execute seasonal creative direction in alignment with the brand's vision and growth strategy. Develop compelling collections across dresses, separates, and expanding lifestyle categories. Create cohesive seasonal concepts through color, print, material, and silhouette development. Identify emerging trends, customer preferences, and market opportunities to influence product direction. Balance creativity and commercial strategy to deliver products that resonate with the target customer. Collaborate with merchandising, product development, sales, and other internal partners from concept through final product. Present seasonal concepts, design ideas, and collection strategies to leadership and cross-functional teams. Support and mentor design team members while fostering a collaborative and inspiring creative environment. Introduce innovative ideas that strengthen brand identity and support future business growth. Qualifications 7+ years of experience designing women's apparel within a contemporary, premium, or luxury fashion environment. Strong expertise in occasionwear, special event dressing, or elevated women's categories preferred. Exceptional eye for color, print, fabrication, proportion, and overall aesthetic direction. Advanced understanding of fashion trends, customer behavior, and market positioning. Strong illustration, sketching, storytelling, and presentation abilities. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. Strategic thinker with the ability to combine creative vision with business objectives. Highly collaborative, organized, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. The Opportunity This role offers the chance to directly influence the evolution of a recognized women's fashion brand and help shape a growing lifestyle collection through innovative design, strong creative leadership, and a clear point of view.