Free People Associate Designer - Swimwear

Role Summary

Free People is seeking an Associate Designer for our Free-est Swimwear Collection. The Associate Designer's primary responsibility is to facilitate the development process of private label product & support Designer/Design Director w/ market and in-house developments for Free-est product line with a strong focus around Free-est Swim. This role works in support of the Design Director to design and source product appropriate to the target customer and Free-est class across Swim and cut & sew knits.

Role Responsibilities

• The Associate Designer will contribute to the creation, development, and execution of own brand product appropriate for Free People Free-est team with a focus on Free-est Swim product.

• Contribution to the design process including sketching new ideas with the help of procreate and Adobe Illustrator programs, researching new trends and ideas as well as utilizing ai platforms to increase creative research.

• Maintain an active role in the weekly Design Flow Meetings. Take notes and follow up on all outstanding issues upon aligning w/ manager.

• Support seasonal development calendar in partnership with the Free-est design team.

• Execute specific design development projects as assigned by the Design Director

• Assist in completing technical sketches for domestic and overseas programs - as well as manage all sketch updates and coloring all colorways (Solid & Prints).

• Set up spec sheets for all private label product & assist Designers with all developments & communication as needed.

• Manage development and execution of all design packages and participate in all follow-up communication related to each package in partnership with the Design Coordinator & Product Development team.

• Communicate fit and construction details to cross-functional partners by managing weekly fit notes recap. As well as alert Design Coordinator & Product Development team of any major changes made during fit and facilitate follow up conversations when needed.

• Participate in research and report on industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations that can relate to the Free People target customer.

• Execute original design ideas through draped & sewn mocks to communicate design's vision in key meetings when needed.

• Support Director & collaborate closely with entire Free-est team on innovative presentation layouts for key design meetings to communicate ideas to Buyers and Brand leaders.

Role Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Apparel Design or equivalent experience preferred.

• Must skill for this role: Excellent hand and computer sketching/ CAD skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop as well as Procreate.

• Strong sense of technical design understanding and passion for technical portion/construction and making of garments

• Proactive and self-motivated is a must for this role

• Strong sense of organizational skills and proactiveness, great communication skills and ability to multi task

• Proficient in Microsoft platforms (Excel, Powerpoint & Word)

• Mocking/ Sewing skills.

• Any swim design experience would be a great asset to have for this role

#LI- PS1

The Perks

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits

EEO Statement

URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.