Senior Bags & Accessories Designer - 12 month FTC

Working at Stella McCartney is a truly rewarding experience. As a luxury fashion company with a strong ethical standpoint we are leaders and innovators in our industry.

Overview

The Senior Bags and Accessories Designer role works creatively with the Design Directors, contributing to the collection by executing the Creative Director's vision across various accessories lines. This role demands a proactive and experienced designer who can thrive in a fast-paced environment, contributing to and managing all stages of the design process while maintaining composure under pressure and demonstrating a strong understanding of design principles and materials. The role will strategically translate creative concepts into innovative designs aligned with brand aesthetics and market trends.

Location: London, Head Office

Type: 12 month fixed term contract

Your Mission:

• Collaborate closely with the Collection Director to create and facilitate an achievable timeline for collection offerings in line with and managing budget for all bags and accessories collections.

• Oversee the fabric and prototype archive, ensuring organisation and accessibility.

• Manage all samples, prototypes, and corrections, ensuring timely delivery and clear communication to the product development team in Italy following each fitting and design meeting.

• Manage a small team of Bags & Accessories Designers, providing guidance and support as needed.

• Lead design and research efforts to develop innovative concepts and collections, staying ahead of market trends.

• Conduct in-depth fabric, accessories, and materials research, including the development of exclusive materials with comprehensive technical specifications.

• Create detailed technical sketches for design and metal components of bags and other accessories.

• Coordinate communication effectively with the product development team in Italy, ensuring seamless collaboration.

• Develop colour card proposals highlighting key combinations for each collection.

• Manage fabric-to-sketch allocation, ensuring accurate material assignments.

• Create high-quality renderings of accessories and bags for presentations and internal reviews.

• Develop mock-ups of accessories and bags to visualise designs and construction.

• Oversee prototype corrections, ensuring accuracy and adherence to design specifications.

• Prepare and distribute design scans and specifications to the Product Manager.

• Record detailed notes during fittings and follow-up presentations, ensuring accurate documentation.

• Prepare materials and presentations for design meetings and concept reviews.

• Develop product groupings with comprehensive materials and colour proposals.

• Ensure adherence to collection deadlines, managing time and resources effectively.

• Maintain the organisation of the accessories and bags fitting room, ensuring a productive workspace.

Your Talent:

• At least 4 years’ demonstratable experience in a luxury fashion house working with accessories and/or bags with a sophisticated eye for research

• A strong motivation to contribute to a dynamic and collective creation.

• Understanding the Stella McCartney heritage, ethical values and brand DNA and therefore a confident interpreting the style of Stella McCartney and brand codes

• Ability to create and facilitate appropriate timelines for design, with the ability to effectively manage changing priorities at short notice.

• Affinity with the values of Stella McCartney, the brand identity and style of the accessories and bags collection

• At least 2 years people management experience

• Ability to work both independently and under direction

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively, despite conflicting priorities

• High level technical skills

• Excellent hand drawing skills

• Experience of CAD software, Adobe Suite and Photoshop

• Strong communications skills, including proven ability to present to a wide range of stakeholders, with the ability to share information effectively and able to work confidently with cross function teams

• Italian language skills are desirable

• Able to effectively work in a team, with a positive and constructive attitude.

• Knowledge of legal requirements for confidentiality and intellectual property

Reward

Our philosophy is to go beyond monetary return and consider ourselves responsible for your wellbeing, your family, your health, your time and the community.

• Up to 50% discount on Stella McCartney products

• Matched pension contribution up to 6%

• Extensive private medical and critical illness insurance, as well as life assurance

• Annual Health Screening

• 25 days annual leave (not including Bank Holidays) + 1 day of Birthday leave

• Flexible working/core hours

• Enhanced Maternity/paternity packages

• Matched Give as You Earn charity scheme

• Discounted gym and fitness memberships (Classpass) 

• Health cash plan

• Physical and Mental Wellbeing Support Services

• Employee referral bonus

• Optional/ Paid Benefits: Season ticket loan, cycle to work and tech schemes, travel and dental insurance and much more.

We welcome people with disabilities and endeavour to make reasonable adjustments, if you do require such adjustments please let us know within 48 hours of your interview.

At Stella McCartney, we like to be bold. For us this means challenging ourselves and the wider industry in which we operate. As part of our commitments to inclusive fashion, we have an ambitious strategy to put diversity, equity and inclusion at the centre of everything we do. Our starting point is to create a workplace where different voices are respected, heard and empowered in equal measure regardless of factors such as culture and backgrounds, and to influence and disrupt fashion and other industries by providing opportunities for global diverse talent to shine.