Womenswear Brand Styling Lead

The Brand Styling Lead is responsible for curating and maintaining a cohesive visual identity across all touchpoints for the retailer. This role combines creative vision with strategic leadership, ensuring that all campaigns, galleries, and e-commerce styling reflect the brand’s aesthetic, resonate with the target customer, and drive engagement and sales.

Key Responsibilities

• Styling & Creative Leadership
  • Execute the brand’s styling aesthetic and guidelines across campaign shoots, galleries, and e-commerce content.
  • Develop and implement clear styling guidelines and standards to ensure consistency and alignment across all team outputs.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for styling consistency within your division (WW).
  • Oversee and direct photoshoots, ensuring all outfits, accessories, and styling reflect the brand’s target customer and current trends.
  • Collaborate with photographers, art directors, and studio teams to deliver visually compelling assets.
  • Use styling to communicate the brand’s ethos, positioning, and customer identity.
  • Continuously monitor best-selling products and customer behaviour, adjusting leading images and styling as needed to maximize conversion.
• Trend & Market Insight
  • Research fashion trends, competitor activity, and customer insights to inform styling decisions.
  • Work closely with buying and merchandising teams to ensure styled looks reflect current stock, key items, and commercial priorities.
• Team Management & Mentorship
  • Manage, mentor, and support a team of stylists and junior creatives, setting them up for success in the studio.
  • Ensure wardrobe and styling resources are up to date, relevant, and accessible for all team members.
• E-Commerce & Studio Operations
  • Conduct daily checks of e-commerce contact sheets, identifying shots that may require reshoots or adjustments.
  • Deliver weekly styling updates, reporting on what has been delivered in the studio and progress against briefs.
  • Drive elevated gallery styling for e-commerce, working from the Head of Brand Styling brief.
  • Ensure mood boards are prepared for every styling session, communicating inspiration, direction, and product stories clearly.

Skills & Experience

• Strong fashion styling eye with excellent understanding of trends, commercial dressing, and brand positioning.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to manage, mentor, and inspire a styling team.
• Excellent collaboration skills across creative, buying, merchandising, and e-commerce teams.
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Passionate about delivering innovative, on-brand styling that drives engagement and sales.

About Us

We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions.

This role is based at our Head Office in West London.

What we can offer you

• Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
• Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through Reward Gateway!
• A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill your needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
• Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment.
• Flexible working is a given, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
• Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
• A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.
• The choice to opt in for healthcare through our provider AXA.
• 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!

At River Island we are committed to the safeguarding of all of our employees regardless of age or job role. We promote and encourage the belief in British Values- including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Our Island is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.