Design Lead - Accessories

• Newly Created Role
• Creative Leadership opportunity
• Drive innovation, change and commercially relevant product development

A rare opportunity has arisen for an ambitious and creatively driven Design Manager to join a leading retailer and take ownership of the creative direction across Accessories and Footwear.

This is a newly created role designed for a designer who wants to make an impact, challenge the status quo and help shape the future of the category.
You will have the opportunity to drive creative change and innovation, build out a high-performing design team and establish a clear creative vision across the Accessories and Footwear portfolio.

This is more than managing a design function, it’s an opportunity to put your creative stamp on a growing and evolving business.
As Design Manager, you will own the creative vision and design direction across Accessories and Footwear, working closely with Product, Buying, Merchandise and Marketing to deliver commercially relevant and design-led collections.

You will be responsible for:

• Setting the overall creative direction and design vision across Accessories and Footwear
• Driving innovation, fresh thinking and newness across product and design
• Challenging existing ways of working and identifying opportunities to evolve the design function
• Building and developing a talented design team, establishing structure, processes and capability
• Leading the end-to-end creative process from concept and trend direction through to final product
• Developing seasonal creative concepts, colour palettes, materials, shapes and product direction
• Identifying global trends, emerging design influences and new opportunities for the customer
• Working collaboratively with Buying and Product teams to translate creative vision into commercially successful ranges
• Partnering with Marketing and Brand to ensure product and creative direction are aligned
• Building strong relationships with suppliers and development partners to push product innovation and quality
• Establishing clear design standards and ensuring consistency across the portfolio
• Balancing creativity and commerciality to deliver product that is both distinctive and commercially compelling
• Mentoring, inspiring and developing the design team to create a high-performance creative culture

We are looking for a Design Manager, Senior Designer or Design Lead who is ready to step into a role with genuine ownership and influence.
You will ideally bring:

• Strong experience across Accessories and/or Footwear design
• A highly commercial yet creatively led approach to product
• A strong understanding of fashion trends, consumer behaviour and global design direction
• Proven experience taking products from initial concept through to final development
• A passion for innovation and challenging conventional thinking
• Strong leadership capability and experience mentoring or managing designers
• The confidence to build structure, processes and a creative team from the ground up
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• The ability to influence Buying, Product, Merchandise and Marketing teams
• A strong eye for detail, product, materials, colour and finish
• An entrepreneurial mindset and the energy to make things happen

This is a newly created position, giving you the opportunity to define what great looks like.
You will have the autonomy to shape the creative function, build your team, introduce new ideas and influence the direction of an exciting Accessories and Footwear portfolio.
If you're looking for a role where you can lead change, champion innovation and genuinely own the creative vision, this is an opportunity not to be missed.
Apply now for a confidential discussion.