At a Glance
- Tasks: Design innovative boyswear collections and manage factory partnerships for top brands.
- Company: Join Next, a leading UK fashion retailer with a vibrant team culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, staff discounts, and private medical insurance.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for growth and creativity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in boys' fashion while collaborating with creative minds.
- Qualifications: Experience in boyswear design and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite required.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Working Pattern: Typically 5 days in the office, with core hours flexible between 8am-6pm. Ideal start date September 2026.
The Role
As a Boys Apparel Designer within Next’s Fashion Brands team, you will act as a creative guardian for a prestigious brand portfolio, ensuring the brand's unique "DNA" is translated into elevated, commercially successful designs across boyswear! By bridging the gap between trend research and technical execution, you’ll make a tangible impact on the aesthetic direction of our collections, reacting with agility to market data to keep our offerings ahead of the curve. You will thrive in a highly collaborative environment, working side‑by‑side with partner brands and internal garment teams to bring concepts to life across diverse product categories. To ensure your success from day one, Next provides comprehensive brand immersion and technical onboarding, supporting your transition into our fast‑paced, premium design landscape.
What You’ll Take On
- Design High‑Impact Boyswear/Baby Apparel Collections ages 0-14: Create innovative, commercial boyswear and baby garments that blend technical functionality with licensed brand aesthetics.
- Manage Factory Partnerships: Liaise directly with global factories and suppliers to oversee the manufacturing process, ensuring your design requirements and technical details translate perfectly into the final product.
- Build Trusted Licensing Relationships: Foster strong, professional bonds with external license brand partners and internal teams to build a culture of confidence, trust, and seamless collaboration.
- Coordinate Cross‑Functionally: Partner closely with Garment Technologists, Buying, and Merchandising teams to develop fit‑for‑purpose ranges that meet rigorous performance standards while hitting critical path deadlines.
- Translate Global Trends: Continually research and communicate emerging global trends in casual wear and formal wear silhouettes, fabrications, trims, and colour, turning trend inspiration into commercial and elevated design concepts.
- Deliver Technical Precision: Produce detailed and highly accurate Tech Packs, specifying garment construction, fabrics, trims, and fit specifications to provide factories with clear guidelines that minimise errors and maximise efficiency.
What You’ll Bring
- Versatile Boyswear Design Expertise: You possess an adaptable design "handwriting" and a high level of attention to detail that allows you to switch effortlessly between different licensed brands, trend aesthetics, age ranges, and product tiers across the boys market, to include both casual wear and smarter product categories, ensuring high quality standards and elevation across all product categories.
- Technical Mastery: You are highly proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and know how to build thorough tech packs that respect factory capabilities and price points.
- Commercial Sharpness: You stay ahead of macro and micro trends, understanding how to design boyswear ranges that are commercially viable, highly functional, and perfectly aligned with a license partner's DNA.
- Resilience and Agility: You thrive in fast‑paced design environments, staying organised and positive even when priorities shift. You view fast‑moving trends and brand changes as an opportunity to innovate rather than a hurdle.
- Clear Communication: You can present your boyswear concepts with confidence and communicate complex technical and brand requirements clearly to both internal stakeholders, brand partners, and global suppliers.
- Forward‑Thinking Skills: While not essential, experience with 3D design software, AI visualisation tools will give you a significant head start.
Portfolios
To help us get a feel for your style, please attach a digital portfolio. We’re looking for work that demonstrates a sharp eye for the future of boys apparel designs and how these can be commercially viable for Next, and showcases your trend research, garment designs and CAD work within this as well! To help you put your best foot forward, we’ve put together a few top tips on what makes a portfolio stand out to our team. Please ensure your digital samples are uploaded with your submission, as we are unable to consider applications that do not include a portfolio.
Sponsorship
Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements.
About Us
You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE‑100 retail company employing over 44,000 people across the Next group. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 450 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on‑line from over 80 countries around the world!
About The Team
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Profit‑related bonus - based on company performance
- Management share options
- Company car or car allowance
- Private medical insurance
- Sharesave scheme - make savings from your net pay to buy NEXT shares at a discount
- Pension - fixed contribution rates from both an employer and employee perspective, but you're also able to make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) if you wish to save more.
- Life assurance
- Group income protection
- Wagestream - helping you make the most out of your money
- Salary finance - offers access to affordable loans repaid through salary, simple savings and free financial education.
- 25% staff discount on most NEXT products - plus discount on other products
- Direct to work - NEXT orders delivered free to the office for collection
- VIP sale - early access to the NEXT sale
- Access to NEXT staff shops
- Octopus energy - like cycle‑to‑work, but for electric vehicles
- Free parking (excluding London locations)
- Travel2NEXT - bus services dependent on location
- On site dining facilities (excluding London locations)
- National and local discounts on goods and services - this includes things like discounted cinema tickets
- Wellhub - includes access to discounted gym membership
- Simply health - a healthcare subscription service
- Aviva Digicare Workplace+ healthcare service - 7 Free services including Digital GP appointments and an annual health check.
- Onsite GP - Leicester Head Office
- Onsite Physio - Leicester Head Office
- A range of dedicated 3rd party wellbeing partners
- Free eye testing - voucher to use at specific locations
Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change. We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long‑term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email headoffice_careers@next.co.uk (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on 0116 284 2486 and leave a voicemail.
Boyswear Apparel Designer - Licensed Brands - 12 Months Fixed Term Contract employer: Next
Next is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant and collaborative work culture that fosters creativity and innovation in the fashion industry. With comprehensive onboarding and a commitment to employee growth, you will thrive in a supportive environment that values your contributions while enjoying a range of benefits including generous holiday allowances, profit-related bonuses, and exclusive staff discounts. Located in the heart of the UK’s retail landscape, Next provides a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on boyswear design while being part of a leading FTSE-100 company.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Boyswear Apparel Designer - Licensed Brands - 12 Months Fixed Term Contract
✨Get in with Local Boutiques
Fashion isn't just about the big names; local boutiques are often on the lookout for temporary staff, especially during busy seasons. Pop in with your CV and a smile, chat with the staff, and show genuine interest – it can lead to an on-the-spot opportunity or, at the very least, a good contact!
✨Leverage Fashion Events
Fashion shows and local events are goldmines for networking. Attend as many as you can! Strike up conversations with fellow attendees, designers, or even models – you never know who might have a lead on temporary roles that aren't advertised yet.
✨Utilise Social Media Like a Pro
Follow brands and influencers in the fashion-apparel industry on social media. Engage with their content and stay updated on their hiring announcements. Many companies post about temporary positions on their Instagram or Twitter, so keep your eyes peeled!
✨Check Out Our Site for Temp Roles
Don’t forget to apply directly through our website for temp roles at companies like Next. We regularly update our listings, and your best shot at landing something is to jump on it as soon as it drops – so keep checking!
We think you need these skills to ace Boyswear Apparel Designer - Licensed Brands - 12 Months Fixed Term Contract
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Style:In the fashion-apparel world, creativity and personal style are key! Make sure your CV and cover letter reflect your unique take on fashion—add a touch of personality, maybe even a mood board if you’re feeling adventurous. This is your chance to show how you’d fit into Next's vibe!
Highlight Relevant Experience:For a temporary role, experience is everything. If you've worked in retail, styling, or even as a personal shopper, make sure to highlight that in your application. We want to see how your past experiences can benefit Next during this short-term stint!
Include a Portfolio of Your Work:If you’ve got a portfolio—whether that's photos of your styling or designs—attach it! We love to see what you're capable of. It’s a great way to stand out, especially in temporary roles where you might need to make a quick impact at Next.
Emphasise Your Adaptability:Temporary roles often require juggling different tasks and adapting to changing needs. In your application, mention instances where you’ve showcased flexibility and quick learning. Showing that you’re ready to jump right in will surely catch our eye at Next.
How to prepare for a job interview at Next
✨Show Off Your Style
In the fashion-apparel world, your personal style can speak volumes. Make sure to express your fashion sense in your outfit and show off any unique pieces that represent your style while keeping it professional. This gives the interviewers a glimpse of your creativity and flair.
✨Bring Your Portfolio to Life
For a temporary role, it'll be essential to demonstrate your skills quickly. Have a well-curated portfolio that showcases your previous work, whether it's designs, styling, or merchandising. Be prepared to talk through your thought process and the impact your work has had in previous roles.
✨Prepare for Trend Talk
Expect questions about current fashion trends and how they relate to the brand Next. Being able to discuss recent runway looks, sustainable practices, or trending colours will show your knowledge of the industry and that you’re up-to-date with what's happening in fashion.
✨Highlight Your Adaptability
In a temporary position, demonstrating that you can hit the ground running is key. Share experiences from previous roles where you've quickly adapted to new trends or tackled fast-paced environments. Your ability to be flexible shows that you're ready to contribute from day one!
