Senior Design Director

Industry:

Company: M.M. LaFleur

About our company.

M.M.LaFleur is a female-founded womenswear company based in New York City. We believe the world is a better place when women succeed. Our goal is to take the work out of dressing for work-whether that means heading to the office, networking over brunch, leading PTA meetings, or anything in between. Our thoughtfully designed pieces are practical, comfortable, and beautiful, and we hope that when you wear them, you feel like the most polished and powerful version of yourself.

Who are we?

We’re a group of go-getters who are passionate about reimagining the way women shop and dress for work. We get inspiration from our customers, and everything we design has a purpose and a human touch. We think big, but we sweat the details, and we take our work (but never ourselves) seriously. We’re steady but nimble, thanks to a whip-smart, energetic team that’s not afraid to be scrappy. We are perfectionists who sometimes spill on our clothes-we own our mistakes, turn challenges into growth, and evolve as we learn. We embrace ambiguity, celebrate weird ideas, and love a work in progress. We are kind but direct, and we practice Kizukai-a Japanese word that means “empathy in action.” We are incredibly proud of the team we’ve built, and we’re excited to continue evolving as we grow.

THE ROLE:

In this role you will be responsible to lead creative strategy, concept, product creation and design for M.M.LaFleur. Partner with Merchandising on seasonal strategies to develop best-in-class products that balance current trends with best sellers and customer favorites. Approach the design process with rigor and in-depth knowledge of design trends, development strategy, selling history, customer preferences and strong process management to drive the product integrity and MM aesthetic. Act as the face of the brand design for events, marketing, and social media.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Design + Development Process

• Responsible for managing design processes including concept, color, print, seasonal sketches, tech pack creation, and fittings for all categories
• Formulate fabric, color, print into a cohesive product assortment that is consistent with merchandising strategy & customer needs
• Manage product design lifecycle from concept through to production
• Facilitate meetings with Merchandising to engage the teams in idea generation and inspire collaboration in order to facilitate a unified vision across categories
• Responsible for ensuring that product is consistent with business strategy; interpret concepts and trends as it relates to market demands and business strategies
• Demonstrate curiosity in a broad and complex business environment transcending the traditional competitive landscape in order to engage the MM customers
• Research competitor products, consumer retail habits, color and market trends and understand how to interpret and scale findings for the MM product
• Ensure that attention to detail is being paid to all product during all stages of development through to production
• Manage SMS requests and partner with product development for samples
• Evaluate prototypes at all stages of development and production to closely collaborate with the technical design teams for product execution
• Maintain consistency and accuracy of information flow between Design, Development and Merchandising teams
• Attends all milestone meetings including pre-season sketch, fabric and proto reviews as well as in season to understand best sellers and product performance.

Brand

• Partners with Creative on styling for Photoshoots for both Mood and Shop Imagery
• Represents M.M.LaFleur as the face of the Design team at events + panels as well as in marketing + social media

QUALIFICATIONS

• 8-10 years experience in apparel design and product development with proven leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of apparel manufacturing processes
• Keen eye for detail, trend and innovation opportunities
• A team player with a positive mindset, no task too big or too small attitude
• Highly organized & detail oriented with strong time management skills
• Eagerness and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, driven by teamwork and collaborative innovation.

This is a hybrid position based out of our corporate office in lower Manhattan. This role should work from the office 3 days per week.

Effective September 13, 2021, all employees, guests, and customers entering any M.M.LaFleur facility must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Employees unable to receive the vaccine due to medical conditions or sincere religious beliefs may apply for exemption from this policy through reasonable accommodation. The company will evaluate those requests consistent with its legal obligations.

If you are a New York City applicant:

• • The estimated pay range for this role, based in New York City, is $170,000-200,000.
  • This role will be eligible to participate in our company’s equity program, 401k program, and benefits.

Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide.

Individual pay rate decisions are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skill set, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.

The range above is for the expectations as laid out in the job description, however we are often open to a wide variety of profiles, and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this job description as posted. If that ends up being the case, the updated salary range will be communicated to you as a candidate.