Creative Director – Contemporary

Job Title:
Creative Director – Contemporary

Position Summary

The Creative Director is responsible for leading the creative vision, brand strategy, and design execution across the contemporary brand portfolio. This role oversees all aspects of creative direction for RTW, sportswear, and dresses, ensuring a cohesive, elevated, and commercially successful point of view. Managing a team that includes a Head Designer and multiple creative contributors, the Creative Director balances innovation, brand storytelling, and market relevance while driving consistent execution across categories.

• Define and execute the overarching creative direction for the contemporary brands in alignment with company and leadership vision.
• Establish a strong, recognizable brand identity across RTW, sportswear, and dresses.
• Ensure all collections reflect a cohesive aesthetic, clear point of view, and compelling seasonal narrative.
• Elevate brand positioning through innovation, trend leadership, and thoughtful design storytelling.

• Lead, inspire, and manage a team of 8 creatives, including the Head Designer and supporting design roles.
• Set creative standards and expectations across all design levels.
• Mentor senior leaders and designers, fostering creative growth, accountability, and excellence.
• Partner closely with the Head Designer to ensure seamless translation of vision into product.

• Oversee the end-to-end creative process from concept through final product approval.
• Review and approve sketches, CADs, fabrics, color palettes, prints, and trims to ensure brand consistency and quality.
• Guide seasonal line architecture, key items, and category balance across the assortment.
• Ensure design intent is preserved while aligning with business objectives and production realities.

• Lead trend forecasting, market analysis, and competitive research to inform long‑term and seasonal strategy.
• Drive innovation in silhouette, fabrication, and category development.
• Translate global trends into relevant, ownable product for the contemporary customer.

• Collaborate closely with Merchandising, Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Sales to align creative vision with business strategy.
• Present seasonal concepts and collections to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to ensure on‑time delivery and successful execution of creative initiatives.

• Oversee creative calendars and key milestones to ensure timely execution of seasonal collections.
• Establish and refine creative processes that support scalability, efficiency, and quality across the team.
• Ensure clear communication and alignment throughout the design and development lifecycle.

• 10–15+ years of experience in fashion design, with senior leadership experience in contemporary apparel.
• Strong background across RTW, sportswear, and dresses.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire large, multi‑level creative teams.
• Exceptional creative vision paired with strong commercial and strategic acumen.
• Deep understanding of trend forecasting, fabric development, and garment construction.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and leadership skills.
• Proficiency in industry‑standard design and presentation tools.

Salary $175,000-$200,000