Associate Apparel Designer

Your Job:

Product excellence is at the heart of Brooks’ success and achieving a leadership position in the marketplace requires innovation and excellence in product designs. As the Associate Apparel Designer, you will support the Senior Graphic Designer in establishing seasonal prints, graphics, and branding that drive category initiatives while maintaining brand direction and appropriate aesthetic appeal for a targeted consumer. You will drive overall product quality to higher levels through research, design, signature product execution, and create the overarching story for each season. You will ensure that deliverable dates and functional needs across the Design & Fusion teams are met. You will collaborate with Color and Product Designers to create final intent for each style. You will provide stories to the Product Line Managers to create consumer-facing stories.

Your Responsibilities:

• Support designers in the design, development, and execution of seasonal Apparel print, graphics, and branding concepts from initial concept through commercialization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create a merchandisable line from concept to commercialization.
• Successfully influence decisions across the Apparel functions with full accountability and ownership for the outcome as well as the process.
• Conduct research on apparel, running, lifestyle, and fashion trends to help inform seasonal design direction and product opportunities.
• Participate in seasonal and yearly concept strategy sessions in conjunction with Apparel Design Leadership create seasonal themes.
• Under the guidance of the Design Director and Senior Designer, help contribute to a strong consumer-oriented point of view for Apparel Print, Graphics, and Branding for Apparel Design and execute the vision seasonally.
• Research and deliver design, market, and lifestyle trends that influence and impact the product category process from product briefing to product concept to final designs.
• Strategize seasonal and full year concepts in conjunction with the Design Director and Footwear team to align seasonal themes.
• Collaborate with Design partners, Product Marketing, Development, and Materials to focus on apparel solutions for market success.
• Present overarching seasonal concepts for apparel design at internal product meetings via presentation materials that effectively communicate the concepts.
• Together with the Senior Designer help design and develop all apparel concepts including print, graphics, and branding.
• Create specification packages for size, application, and placement.
• Be available for relevant fit sessions and product reviews for all prototypes, photo samples, size runs, salesmen samples, and pre-production samples to ensure quality and fit that meets design standards and overall brand objectives.
• Become an apparel design expert maintaining and strengthening our brand storytelling opportunities via product.
• Use AI tools to visualize design intent for individual items and head-to-toe looks at Concept meetings and Final Reviews.
• Strong collaboration with Apparel Merchandising and Footwear Team to create head-to-toe outfitting whenever possible.
• Travel domestically and/or internationally minimum of twice per year to stay on top of trends and consumer firsthand.
• Meet calendar deadlines and deliverables.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, or related field; equivalent combination of education and years of experience can be considered in lieu of degree(s)
• 3+ years of experience in apparel design or relevant experience in a similar design role
• Formal design education and/or training in apparel design and vector-based graphic design programs preferred
• Power user in vector-based graphics software applications (i.e., Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop proficient); Mac environment for design with some work in a PC environment and spectrophotometer hardware
• Ability to use AI tools and emerging technologies to visualize and communicate design concepts
• Ability to communicate design ideas clearly through sketches, technical drawings, presentations, and verbal communication
• Ability to manage multiple assigned projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, seasonal product development environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company
• Ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products, or other departments' operations and/or morale; "connecting the dots"
• Demonstration of innovation and initiative - always looking at improving our products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details and help wherever necessary
• Travel 10% (domestically/internationally)
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!