Assistant Menswear Designer in Leicester

Working Pattern: Typically 5 days in the office, with core hours flexible between 8am-6pm.

The Role: As an Assistant Menswear Designer, you will be the creative engine behind Next’s popular and fast moving product categories. Your mission is to translate global catwalk influences, street style trends, and fabric innovations into wearable, "must-have" clothing that resonate directly with the Next customer. Working closely alongside senior designers, buyers, merch and technical teams, you’ll help build cohesive, commercial collections that keep Next ahead of the high street. Our Designers here at Next are always looking forward, focusing on trends and pushing the boundaries of what we can offer our fantastic customer base. You will be a key part of the critical path, creating new and innovative designs across Menswear!

What You’ll Take On:

• Support the Design Vision: Research key seasonal trends in fabrics, weaves, colour palettes, prints, check patterns, and casual silhouettes to create commercially successful ranges.
• Design with Agility: From core staples to special project collections, you’ll respond rapidly to design briefs, turning fresh ideas into "customer-ready" products at high street speed.
• Balance Style and Value: You’ll use your commercial eye to ensure every piece is both aspirational and budget-friendly, delivering "cool" fashion that makes sense for our customers.
• Collaborate to Deliver: You’ll work hand-in-hand with our Buyers, Merchandisers, and Tech teams daily, ensuring every design is technically sound and arrives in-store exactly when it should.
• Own the Process: You’ll manage the journey of a garment from the initial mood board to the final product, ensuring the range remains a consistent favourite for the Next shopper.

What You’ll Bring:

• A Passion for Menswear: A genuine interest in menswear garment construction, from shapes and detailing to understanding fabric washes and technical trims.
• Creative Agility: You’re a natural at spotting lifestyle trends and can quickly translate a "big idea" into a practical, wearable design that fits the relaxed, modern Next aesthetic.
• The Ability to Juggle: You’re well organised and stay calm when things get busy, comfortably managing multiple deadlines and product ranges at once.
• A Collaborative Spirit: You’re a "people person" who communicates clearly and enjoys working alongside buyers and tech teams to solve problems and bring the collection to life.
• Commercial Savvy: You understand the balance between high end comfort and high street reality, keeping an eye on costs without losing that essential "cool" factor.
• Technical Foundations: You bring relevant design experience (or a degree in a related field) and are comfortable using the tools of the trade, specifically Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, to bring your sketches to life.

Portfolios: To help us get a feel for your style, please attach a digital portfolio to your application. Applications without a portfolio will not be considered.

Sponsorship: Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements.

We encourage early applications for our roles, as our recruitment process begins as soon as the role is advertised. If we successfully fill the position, this advert may close earlier than planned.

At NEXT, we believe the best work happens when there are no barriers to collaboration. That’s why we are a Google-powered workspace. From your very first day, you’ll be using the full Google Workspace suite; Docs, Drive, and Meet, to stay connected and move fast.

If your previous experience is rooted in other software suites, don’t worry! We’ll point you to a digital Google toolkit the moment you join, packed with handy guides and insider tips to help you transition smoothly and hit the ground running.