Womenswear Designer

Job description

Location: Manchester (Hybrid) - please only apply if you are UK based and able to commute to our office Reports to: Head of Product Six Stories is looking for an exceptional Womenswear Designer to join our growing team. This is an exciting role with huge opportunity for a passionate, dynamic and solutions-focused individual who cares deeply about creating exceptional, market-leading product and, most importantly, the customers who wear it. We’re looking for someone with a strong creative instinct, a commercial mindset and the drive to make things happen with a sense of ‘today’. Someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, takes ownership and is excited to play a meaningful role in the next chapter of Six Stories. Mission Design and develop market-leading, commercially successful fashion that strengthens the Six Stories market position. Ensuring a deep emotional connection with our customer through product. Role Overview The Fashion Designer at Six Stories brings our product vision to life through creatively and commercially considered product. You will translate the brands intention, commercial objectives and creative aspirations into beautiful, well-constructed pieces chosen for some of the most significant moments in a woman's life. Working closely with the Head of Product and Co-Founders, you will own the creative development of your ranges from initial concept through to final fit, balancing beautiful design with commercial viability and ensuring ideas and product are maximised. You will be a hands-on, detail-obsessed designer who understands construction, fabrication and fit as deeply as you understand aesthetic and trend. You will take your responsibility to create market-leading product seriously and take initiative to problem solve, act quickly and pivot when required. Guided by the Six Stories values of joy, authenticity, community and quality, you will bring fresh thinking to established bestsellers and help shape new product that feels unmistakably Six Stories. Key Responsibilities Design & Range Development • Design inventive, progressive, on-brand product that push’s boundaries whilst remaining inherently Six Stories in handwriting. • Own the delivery of market-leading product from first concept to bulk ensuring product interpretation is true to the sign off vision in both short lead and long lead categories. • Create detailed technical sketches and design packs ready for supplier development. • Foster positive, solution-based relationships with suppliers. • Understand the departments CP and deliver in a timely manner to ensure dates are maintained. • Take initiative to lead new product, categories and ideas as the market demands. Understand best-selling product and evolve this with new colourways, fabrications and silhouette variations. • Design purposeful product and be proud of what you are putting into the world. • Constantly learning and building a deep understanding for fabrics, techniques and ways product can be moved forward. • Lead development with suppliers, understanding and tracking progress reporting status updates to the team to ensure product works in-line with departmental CP Technical & Development Support • Work closely with GT, suppliers and pattern cutters to translate design intent into accurate, well-constructed samples - Take your responsibility seriously in ensuring samples are true to the signed off vision. • Lead fittings on your designs along with the Head of Product. Ensuring you are flagging fit, quality and construction issues, and manage revisions with the GT and Buyer through to sign-off. • Maintain accurate tech packs, BOMs and trim cards throughout the development process and update where necessary in a timely manner. • Balance creative ambition with costing, lead times and production feasibility. Trend & Customer Insight • Maintain a constant understanding of the market and emerging trends to ensure collections remain relevant and forward-thinking. • Research and translate applicable fashion trends into relevant, on-brand product ideas. • Build a strong understanding of the Six Stories customer, designing for fit, comfort and confidence. • Monitor competitor product and market gaps to inform range planning. Cross-Functional Collaboration • Partner with the Head of Product, Co-Founders, Buying and Merchandising to ensure designs support commercial and margin goals. • Present concepts, line-ups and line sheets with confidence. • Contribute to wholesale presentations and buyer conversations with clear, confident product storytelling. • Work with Marketing and Brand to ensure product stories are communicated consistently across channels and stay true to the intended purpose and vision. Craft & Quality • Champion construction quality and craftsmanship across every stage of development. • Maintain a high, consistent standard of finish across the full product range. • Work closely with the GT and suppliers to ensure ideas are communicated to their full potential. • Support supplier onboarding and quality troubleshooting alongside the wider product team. What great looks like • A design-led, problem-solver with a strong intuition and deserve to deliver results with a sense of ‘today’ • Deeply customer-obsessed, with an instinctive understanding of the female form and how product should be translated to its full potential • A confident collaborator, comfortable taking direction from the Head of Product and Co-Founders while bringing their own creative point of view. • Meticulous and detail-focused, with high standards that never slip. • Commercially aware, able to balance beautiful design with margin, timelines and operational reality. • Calm and organised under pressure, able to manage multiple ranges and deadlines at once. • A deep care for their work and the product they put into the world. • Trend obsessed with a strong sense of emerging opportunity. Experience Required • 5 years experience as a designer within a related fashion category. • A strong portfolio demonstrating range development from concept through to production. • Solid technical knowledge of garment construction, fabrication and fit. • Experience working directly with suppliers, GT and pattern cutters through sampling and fittings. • Confident using Adobe creative suite and Excel • Experience balancing creative development with costing and commercial targets. Our Vibes If you associate with these, we want to hear from you: • We're scrappy and tenacious - we roll up our sleeves and make things happen. • We put the customer first - her confidence, comfort and experience guide every decision. • We think big - because product should move the needle, not just fill the calendar. • We move fast - we test, refine and double down on what works. • We value calm, considered clarity - strong opinions, loosely held. • We back each other and enjoy the journey - building something meaningful together. Why This Role Matters This role sits at the heart of how Six Stories product looks, feels and evolves. You will help bring our product handwriting to life, shaping market-leading, commercially successful ranges that support rapid growth across the omni-channels of Six Stories.