Menswear Designer - Maternity Cover

We’re the feel-good fashion brand making style accessible and fun for over 55 years, on our website, mobile app and over 300 stores in the UK.

By living our values - we play to win, customer obsessed, we are one and it starts with me - we deliver That New Look Feeling for our customers and each other. 

The Role:

Here at New Look, Design is where it all starts, we live and breathe all things fashion. We are looking for a passionate and driven Designer to join us and be an integral part of our team! With a finger on the pulse for the latest trends at all times, this individual will drive new ideas, and push trends that are new and relevant for the New Look customer. Working closely with buying, merch and suppliers to build a cohesive menswear range that we can be proud of. No two days are the same and we thrive in a fast-paced environment.

WHATS IN IT FOR YOU:

• 40% staff discount plus friends & family discounts throughout the year
• Access to our reward platform for external discount and offers
• Private pension scheme
• Virtual GP access for you and your children – it allows you to speak to a doctor at a time and date that suits you
• All employees are covered by our life assurance policy from day one
• Unlock extra leave with our buy more holiday scheme.
• Celebrate YOU! Enjoy an extra paid day off on your birthday each year
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, and shared parental leave (eligible after 2 years’ service).
• Spread the cost of your commute with interest-free season ticket loans
• Do your bit for the environment and save money with our Cycle2Work scheme
• We're proud to partner with the Retail Trust and Fashion & Textile Children's Trust

What you’ll be doing:

• Clearly identify department key items at the start of the season and ensure they are delivered in line with New Look customer profiles
• Identify key item blocks for the season in line with Brand strategy and take full ownership of them
• Driving forward the department, with support of the design manager, and be a vocal voice in strategic opportunities
• Driving new trends commercially through product ranges with the New Look brand handwriting and customer at front of mind
• Strategically manages the critical path from design concept through to final buying samples reacting to market changes and challenges.
• Creating mood boards, trend presentations and catwalk reports giving clear and concise trend messages to Buying teams
• Sourcing new fabrications inspired from trend research
• Working in synergy with Buying to build a strong commercial range, sharing ideas and information with other product areas to ensure brand / product consistency
• Good influencing skills and self believe, to ensure that newness is delivered into the range, at the correct grading in collaboration with Buying
• In-depth trend, fabric and shape knowledge, being able to identify emerging trends and influence the business at critical points. 
• Developing the right product at the right time, in line with the departmental design strategy to meet customer requirements
• Monitoring, maintaining, and actioning in-depth competitor analysis, and presenting ideas and new product opportunities to gain competitor advantage
• Sharing information where relevant on product, suppliers, best / worst sellers within business area
• Communicating effectively with all internal and external teams
• Working with QA to complete fit sessions in order to develop block and fit that reflects design direction and customer trends
• An excellent understanding of the New Look Customer
• Strong understanding of our Customer Insight and Market Share
• Actively contributing in trend and competitor analysis, making recommendations for changes or developments
• Ongoing familiarity of the competition’s product range

Who you are:

• Previous experience as a Menswear Designer within a major retailer / department within New Look / established supplier
• Fashion Qualification / Other degree desirable
• PC  / Mac literate - Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel, Word, Adobe Suite
• Excellent spec skills using a mix of hand sketching, illustrator and Photoshop
• Able to present work in an exciting format to Heads Of and / or Directors, influencing buying decisions
• Management of workload according to the critical path
• An in-depth knowledge of the current competitive and inspirational market place
• Excellent interpersonal / communication skills
• Superb understanding of the department, and the ability to predict trend / key items with full conviction at the start of the season
• Ability to line manage, motivate and develop the team
• Ability to initiate, build and maintain strong relationships with Buying/Merchandising /QA
• Good organisational skills
• Predicting and delivering of department key items for the season
• Speed and proficiency of Design work
• Identification and interpretation key trends in line with customer profiles
• Achieves sales and strategy plan

Why New Look?
We care about you and the planet and believe fashion should be a force for positive change.  We celebrate inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We’re proud of our inclusive culture and our talented team members who embrace our shared purpose, behaviours and values. 

We prioritise development, offering training to support your progression, so you can be your absolute best and achieve your goals. 

We pride ourselves on being a flexible employer, our colleagues work a range of patterns. If you have a specific pattern in mind, we're keen to discuss this with you in line with the output needed for the role.    

Please ensure that your CV is in simple format e.g. Microsoft Word when applying using your CV to ensure smooth application process.