Design Assistant

Job Opportunity: Womenswear Design Assistant at The Couture Club

Job Overview:

The Couture Club is looking for a proactive and highly organised Womenswear Design Assistant to join our womenswear creative team. This role requires an individual with a keen eye for detail, exceptional organisational skills, and a passion for the fashion industry. The Design Assistant will support the design team in the seamless execution of various design projects, helping to shape innovative collections that align with our brand’s luxury standards.

As a Design Assistant, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth running of our design processes, from sample management and data entry to coordinating technical details and liaising with suppliers. Your contribution will be integral in maintaining the high standards of our designs and ensuring the team’s creativity flows efficiently, assisting in the creation of cohesive and commercial collections.

Key Responsibilities:

• Sample and Mail Management: Logging, checking, and organizing incoming samples, mail, and deliveries for the design team, ensuring all items are accurately recorded and easily accessible.
• Critical Path Management: Inputting data into the design critical path, ensuring that all styles are up to date with sample intake dates, approval stages, and timelines.
• Technical Support: Assisting the design team with the creation of detailed technical packs, preparing measurement charts, and helping facilitate the approval process for prints, fabrics, and details.
• Fabric Library Maintenance: Organising and managing the fabric library, ensuring that all new books are logged and outdated or out-of-stock items are removed.
• Sourcing & Supplier Coordination: Creating sourcing packs for new fabric requirements, actively pursuing suppliers for updates, and ensuring timely deliveries.
• Meeting Support: Preparing meeting spaces for sign-offs and range plan check-ins, ensuring samples are organized, clearly labelled, and readily available.
• Campaign & Ecommerce Coordination: Organising and pulling relevant samples for photoshoots, both for ecommerce and campaign purposes. You will also assist on shoot days, ensuring the smooth transition of samples and preparation of shooting materials.
• Administrative Support: Taking clear, concise notes in design-related meetings (e.g., fit sessions and design reviews) and providing administrative support as needed.
• Organization and Filing: Maintaining an organised and up-to-date filing system, ensuring all sample rails, files, and drawers are in optimal order.
• Trend and Competitive Research: Assisting with trend reports, compiling inspiration, creating colour palettes, and preparing comp shopping reports from online and in-store imagery.
• Supplier Correspondence: Managing communication with suppliers, assisting with design-related queries, and maintaining positive relationships to ensure smooth operations.

Expectations from the Individual:

We are looking for an individual who is not only highly organised and detail-oriented but also has an understanding and appreciation for luxury and designer fashion. You will be expected to:

• Have a strong understanding of luxury fashion and a keen eye for quality and detail, helping us continue to maintain and elevate our product ranges.
• Possess experience or a strong interest in knitwear and jersey design, with a particular focus on understanding fabric construction and garment functionality in these categories.
• Be able to work with a variety of textiles and finishes, contributing insights to enhance the design process, particularly in the knitwear and jersey segments.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
• A proactive, solution-oriented approach to problem-solving.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A keen eye for detail and an understanding of fashion trends and technical design processes.
• Proficiency in design software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite) is preferred.
• A collaborative mindset with a genuine passion for supporting creative professionals.
• A self-motivated, results-driven approach with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Job Details:

• Type: Full-time
• Salary: £22,000.00 - £25,000.00 per year
• Benefits:
• Casual dress code
• Company events
• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Free on-site parking
• Private medical insurance
• Sick pay
• Schedule:
• Monday to Friday, Day shift
• Ability to reliably commute or relocate to Manchester before starting work is required.
• Work Location: In-person, Manchester

Expected Start Date: 03/02/2025

If you have an eye for luxury fashion, a passion for design, and the drive to support our brand in its growth, we would love to hear from you. Apply today to join The Couture Club!