HEAD OF MENSWEAR ( Design & Creative ) D2C brand in Bolton

Our client is a contemporary men’s and women’s fashion brand rooted in modern luxury, street-inspired design, and strong brand storytelling. They pride themselves on creating elevated apparel that blends trend-led graphics with timeless brand identity. Creativity, attention to detail, and authenticity are at the core of everything they do.

Role Overview: The Head of Menswear leads the creative and commercial direction of the menswear category, overseeing product development, brand alignment, and go-to-market strategy. This role bridges design, merchandising, and marketing to build a cohesive, high-performing menswear offering that reflects the brand’s identity and drives growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Creative Direction & Product Strategy: Define and lead the menswear vision in line with the brand's DNA. Oversee all collections from concept to final product. Lead seasonal collections with consistency across silhouettes, fabrics, colour palettes, and branding. Drive commercially proven product franchises. Identify trends and translate them into commercially viable products. Maintain a strong point of view on design, fit, and quality. Collaborate with design & buying teams. Translate insights into product strategy.
• Product Development & Execution: Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle (design → sampling → production). Work closely with design, technical, and sourcing teams. Approve fabrics, trims, fits, and final samples. Ensure timelines and product critical path are met.
• Range Planning & Merchandising Strategy: Oversee range architecture (what products are sold and in what quantity). Use sales data to inform decisions (best sellers, gaps, trends). Balance fashion-forward pieces with core franchises. Manage pricing strategy and margins.
• Commercial Performance: Own sales, revenue, and profitability for menswear. Monitor KPIs (sell-through, conversion, AOV, stock levels). Identify opportunities for growth (new categories and collaborations).
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with marketing (campaign direction, launches), e-commerce (product presentations, drops), supply chain (timelines, production), and retail team (supporting with wholesale critical path & selling).
• Brand & Marketing Alignment: Collaborate with marketing on campaign direction, product storytelling, and launches. Ensure menswear reflects the brand’s tone, positioning, and visual identity. Support content strategy (lookbooks, shoots, social). Guide styling and product presentation.
• Leadership & Team Management: Lead and mentor the menswear design and product teams. Set clear objectives, workflows, and creative standards. Foster a high-performance, collaborative environment. Work cross-functionally with buying, production, and e-commerce.

Key Skills & Experience:

• 5–8+ years in menswear design, product, or category leadership.
• Strong aesthetic sense with a clear understanding of modern menswear.
• Proven ability to build and scale product categories.
• Commercial awareness (pricing, margins, sell-through).
• Experience working with suppliers and production teams.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills.
• Experience in premium or contemporary fashion.
• Background in both design and merchandising.
• Understanding of DTC and e-commerce environments.
• Understanding and experience in wholesale selling.
• Knowledge of global fashion trends and consumer behaviour.

Success Metrics:

• Revenue growth of menswear category.
• Sell-through rates and margin performance.
• Brand consistency and product reception.
• Speed and efficiency of product development cycles.