Associate Designer

Overview

Cara Cara is a women's ready-to-wear clothing brand that combines the joyful spirit of being on holiday, with exuberant and versatile wardrobe pieces to wear year-round. Founded by three women and based in New York City, Cara Cara offers dresses, skirts, tops and swimwear on its direct-to-consumer website  and through a network of over 100 high-end boutiques and retailers including Net-a-Porter, Neiman Marcus, Moda Operandi, Saks Fifth Avenue, Shop Bop, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Title of the Role:
Associate Designer

The Associate Designer supports the knits and wovens team in full collection building that aligns with our brand's vision at Cara Cara. This role is vital to our creative process. The Associate Designer will report to the Head of Design and collaborate closely with design, technical design and production to execute seasonal concepts. This role will be initially focused on wovens and transition into a role with an overlap in knitwear.

• Support the wovens and fully fashioned knit team in sketching, CADing, and facilitating the set up of tech packs with full BOMs.
• Sketch in Adobe Illustrator as well as by hand, and CADing complex prints into bodies in Adobe Illustrator
• Create development sheets with correct construction callouts, basic specs, & garment details for prototype requests at the beginning of each season
• Set up design development charts to track of prototype requests for the season
• Communicate with suppliers; maintaining relationships and sourcing fabrics, trims & accessories
• Maintain detailed binders of all fabrications, lab dips &trims used each season, as well as binders of fabric & trim approvals for bulk
• Make all lab dip comments and trim/fabric submit approvals
• Help to prepare design boards, color palettes, and design presentations
• Work with team to make line sheets by print group as well as by body books
• Liaise between design, tech design, production, and marketing teams
• Own our sample process;
  Track inbound & outbound samples, organize photoshoot samples in partnership with Marketing

• 4-5 years of experience
• Proficiency in Excel, Illustrator and Photoshop
• Must have understanding of how to CAD prints, jacquard patterns, and complex stitches
• Knowledge of garment construction & basic knitwear construction
• Ability to manage competing priorities & multiple deadlines concurrently

A PTO policy that includes including vacation, sick and parental leaves

401K (employee funded)

Pre-tax FSA and Commuter Benefits plans

10+ paid company holidays

Cara Cara does not provide employment sponsorship. Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Cara Cara is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at