Design Director - Apparel Graphics

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• To direct others in designing industry leading executions of Footwear and/or Apparel through graphics.
• Lead, ideate, & influence in helping contribute toward building Basketball and Culture Partnerships graphics direction in collaboration with label Creative Direction team.
• Translate the brand Creative Direction graphics direction into the Basketball.
• Direct seasonal graphics narratives for Basketball.
• Guide, steer, and shepherd this vision across the BU category.
• Help lead and set long term & seasonal trends & insights among the industry, win the consumer, and ultimately help contribute to innovating & pushing the label forward.

 

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Continuously aware and directs a team(s) on information needed to design a consumer and brand relevant BU collection.  Should include all possible sources to gain this information:

• Trade fairs, cultural events, consumer insights
• Trade publications, general interest press, trend services, fashion and lifestyle magazines and websites
• Store checks, market visits, and team travel as provided
• Relevant forecast and sell-through numbers from our Marketing counterparts

 

Is a stakeholder in directing, creating, and leading seasonal and long-term design direction and strategy for basketball. This also includes respective category allocation within the following topics:

• Incorporating Graphics/Print Direction

 

Is a stakeholder in defining, directing, & curating aforementioned design direction by, but not limited to:

• Providing trend forecasting content relevant to our consumer and brand
• Working with Local and Global counterparts to provide category relative graphics direction when required cross-location or cross-category alignment is concerned.
• Directs as a graphics conduit to counterparts in label Originals, Basketball and Culture Partnerships as well as Brand Creative Direction.
• Acts as a brand ambassador between all categories looking for opportunities to connect direction, product, and people.
• Directs, creates, presents, and applies Creative Direction/BU specific presentations
• Drives content to Concept To Consumer Team to enhance Creative Direction/BU strategy and storytelling
• Provides a curated context, to enable success among the business

 

Leads top-line range strategy in their categories. This includes but is not limited to:

• Directly shepherd and leads their team in creating holistic category overviews, rollouts, and strategy for the category.
• Communicate content to Label Creative Direction team, Footwear, Apparel, Colour and Materials Teams to align strategy
• Eagerly seeks proactive opportunities to amplify emerging trends, lead concepts, and strategic hierarchy to product & business
• Has transparent knowledge across critical brand and category direction
• Constant incentivizing and advancement of Creative Direction & BU purpose and vision constantly.

 

Works closely with members of the category’s design team. This includes but is not limited to:

• Providing graphics content and direction
• Collaboration and critiquing
• Sets a leading example and vision within the team and mentors
• Transfers prior experiences and knowledge to those around them
• Viewed within the team as a graphics expert and director

 

PRODUCT EXECUTION

Directs Footwear/Apparel graphics executions with input from Creative Direction counterparts, Design, Marketing, and Development. This includes but is not limited to:

• Vision and expectations for seasonal prep and research stated above
• Creates product design presentations; both physical and digital
• Directs and leads their team in creating a quality and merchandisable range by having a detail to top-line view of all products
• Assures Senior Leads are enabled to work closely with Development to assist in development process & costing
• Travel to Asia for development trips (not alwa