Apparel and Accessories Graphic Designer - Print Team

Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always been colorful, bold, and optimistic. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand that designs extraordinary things for the everyday, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, home décor, and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles. 

Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry portfolio – a global house of brands committed to stretching what’s possible.

A member of the Tapestry family, we are part of a global house of brands that has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive.

The Novelty Designer plays an essential role in maintaining the creative vibrancy of the Kate Spade & Company product. They help determine the creative look and feel of products in all categories through the design and art direction of graphics and illustrations that support the seasonal vision. The ideal candidate is a highly creative individual with strong typographic sensibility, advanced Adobe Illustrator skills, and excellent illustration abilities, who welcomes the opportunity to design across multiple channels, work in a highly collaborative team environment, and embrace change as the brand grows and develops.

Essential duties and responsibilities: 

• Design illustrations, graphics and typography for novelty concepts and line plans, aligned with seasonal vision and brand DNA.
• Apply strong typography skills to develop compelling graphic and typographic layouts
•  Execute artwork across multiple product categories (e.g., handbags, accessories, apparel, gifts, home).
• Contribute creatively to seasonal ideation while independently owning assigned projects from concept through execution.
•  Have deep understanding of the brand’s DNA and aesthetic, and how to translate it into successful product. 
• Ensure assigned artwork is presentable for key meetings and mill-ready for submission by calendartargets.
• Create productionready, mill and factoryready artwork files and technical packages.
• Collaborate crossfunctionally with merchandising, product development and production partners.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Print Design, Illustration, or related field.
• 4+ years of experience in print, graphics, novelty, or illustration design.
• Excellent illustration skills with a strong hand drawing/painting skills and cohesive portfolio.
• Strong typography skills and graphic composition.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop (InDesign is a plus) 
• Strong understanding of how artwork translates to physical product 
• Highly organized, detailoriented, and able to manage multiple projects in a fastpaced environment 
• Confident communicator with solid presentation skills 
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and build strong interpersonal relationships   

Our Competencies for All Employees

• Courage: Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and “actionable” positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
• Creativity: Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
• Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
• Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rap