Senior Designer - Topshop Casual Outerwear and Bottoms (12 month FTC)

Senior Designer – Topshop Casual Outerwear and Bottoms (12 month FTC)

Senior Designer on Topshop Casual outerwear & Bottoms plays a critical role in the brand’s hero departments, delivering best-in-class product, trend building and strategic planning. Working with Design, Merchandising, Buying, Sourcing and Technical teams, responsible for the casual outerwear and bottoms range for wholesale and the global Topshop customer.

You will identify and drive the product strategy for Casual Outerwear and Bottoms, collaborating with the wider Retail team to deliver a commercial, trend-led range. You will be collaborative, organized and strategic, delivering trend direction and product to keep Topshop ahead of the market.

You’ll contribute to design direction and ensure alignment to the strategic vision, focusing on delivering a compelling and commercial offer appropriate for our target customer.

• Researching, developing and creating a standout range, including big deals and key seasonal shapes, with focus on newness in fabric, trend and items for the Topshop customer.
• Developing a cohesive range that reflects Brand strategy and is logically and commercially thought through.
• Developing new and unique product to deliver a range across Topshop customer profiles and end-uses including volume pieces, key items of the season and standout pieces.
• Presenting trend research to other teams including Buying and Commercial leadership, where relevant.
• Collaborating across departments and functions, including Marketing, to ensure the design department vision is communicated clearly.
• Identifying and executing new product opportunities as they emerge in the market with speed to ensure Topshop leads the market with new trend pieces.
• Contributing to business-wide initiatives and projects, positively influencing and championing change.
• Using relevant sales data and insights to design commercially relevant, fashion-forward ranges.
• Anticipating the needs of the Topshop customer, using sales data, customer profile analytics and trend research to deliver commercial product ranges.
• Sourcing new fabrications, techniques and trimmings.
• Working closely with in-house Buying teams – collaborating to create new product each season and shape the product direction for the department, ensuring alignment to the brand and divisional strategy.
• Working with the Technical team on fits on a weekly basis, identifying and helping create new silhouette blocks for the department and producing a commercial range.
• Building relationships with suppliers and advising factories on direction, silhouette, construction, key details, fabrics, trimmings and artworks.
• Managing, developing and motivating more junior team members, providing them with clear direction and regular feedback.
• Supporting and deputising for Lead Designer as required (e.g., attending product reviews or brand strategies).
• Working with other functions to deliver the Topshop strategy.
• Supporting to shape and drive lean, agile processes and ways of working for the department.
• Motivating and engaging the wider design team through role model behaviour.

• High level of WW Casual experience, including outerwear and bottoms, with experience in leather and PU jackets, casual cottons, technical fabrics, shearling and borg coats, quilting and puffer categories, cargo and casual trousers, prints, satins and shorts.
• Experience working with Far East, India and European manufacturers and sourcing.
• Ability to deliver world-class product combining creativity and commercial pieces for must-have items of the season.
• Strong trend research and inspirational direction for Casual outerwear and bottoms.
• Strong eye for print, graphics, embroidery and embellishment direction.
• Experience of fabric sourcing across multiple territories to bring new direction to the collection (including leather and PU).
• Awareness of current trends and global retail market conditions and opportunities.
• Experience delivering trends and products from Europe (Turkey) quickly to market.
• Proven design experience within a fast-paced global retailer.
• Ability to influence and gain buy-in from the team and leaders to realise opportunities.
• Confidently presenting performance and strategy to the team and management.
• Strong understanding of the Topshop customer and segmentation, reflected in decision making.
• Builds strong relationships with internal stakeholders at Head/Executive level and across functions.
• Inclusive leadership style with positive role modelling.

• Benefits: Employee discount, development opportunities, employee sample sales, access to LinkedIn Learning, 25 days annual leave plus an extra celebration day, discretionary bonus, private medical care, and flexible benefits allowance.

#J-18808-Ljbffr