Urban Outfitters - Senior Designer (Softs)

Urban Outfitters started out as a single boutique in 1970s Philadelphia with creativity and uniqueness at its core. 50 years on, and over 60 stores across Europe later, we’ve become a destination for emerging design, unexpected styling, One-Of-A-Kind vintage and homeware that makes you want to hit the share button.  

We speak to a social community of over 10 million forward-thinking individuals, bringing together a nostalgia for the past with an enthusiasm to shape the future. The UO community are culturally aware, they shape the music scene, they live a digitally native life and they wear style trends before anyone else. At our core, we empower our customers and staff to express themselves, unapologetically, living life in a way that's truly authentic to them. 

We are always excited to bring new talent into the room, especially if you share our values: 

Progressive — we move with the mood 
Creative — we champion limitless minds 
Inclusive — we open our platforms to all communities 
Responsible — we work to reduce our impact on the environment 
Compassionate — we care for each other beyond the 9 to 5 

Sound like you, why not join us? 

As a Senior Designer at Urban Outfitters, you will lead and motivate a team across dress and blouse design, providing strategic and creative direction. You’ll oversee garment design for all seasons, mentoring both established and junior designers, and conducting regular performance reviews. You’ll collaborate with senior leadership to develop seasonal concepts, color palettes, and key items that align with the brand’s core sensibilities.

• Leading and motivating a team of varying levels, across dresses and blouses. Monitoring progress and developing by giving design and strategic direction.
• Overseeing designs of garments for all phases and seasons, giving critical analysis to established and junior designers. Responsible for annual appraisal’s and weekly 1:1’s of reporting team members.
• Working closely with HOD and Senior members of the team to create seasonal concepts, colour palettes, print direction and key items for core sensibilities and proprietary brands. These concepts must then be translated into departmental specific items and effectively portrayed to SLT, buying & planning alike
• Responsible for successful development of an innovative, yet commercial soft woven range (Dresses, Blouses) that meets the business requirements across the UK and EU, for stores and online. Designing product which exceeds the customers’ expectations of the brand, whilst displaying an awareness of sustainability, price architecture, margins & selling prices
• Working with the buying and planning teams to range build and produce collections that reflect core sensibilities and emerging messages, whilst ensuring commerciality remains. An understanding of option count and ranging is essential
• Whilst Urban Outfitters prides itself on its individuality and self-led trend direction, a level of knowledge and understanding of ‘high’ fashion trends, ‘underground street styles’ and wider ‘cultural movements’, must be shown and reported
• Actively seeks weekly trade figures & utilises knowledge to impact design decisions for UK & EU alike

• The understanding of Urban Outfitters as a trend maker and leader with the know how
to take it to the next level
• Portfolio should be directional and aspirational whilst demonstrating an ability to intemperate this ‘blue-sky’ thinking into a well-rounded, commercial range, relevant to the current market-place
• Precision and accuracy must be shown from concept stage through to specs and final designs
• A love, unwavering passion and drive for chosen field
• Individuality, creativity and style
• Proven track record of delivering in season product
• Proven ability of managing internal relationships and communications
• Ability to perform under pressure.
• Excellent commercial acumen with the ability to identify new opportunities with exceptional communication and presentation skills at all levels
• Strong hand-drawing skills
• Proficient CAD – Illustrator/Photoshop skills
• Need to be experienced working with a global supply base and be willing/open to global travel
• A confident communicator; the candidate must demonstrate exceptional organisational skills in order to manage workloads and time-pressures effectively

  • Work-life balance:
-Flexible start and finish times
-Bring your dog to work
• Wellbeing:
-Employees Assistance program to support with mental, physical and financial health
-Fully equipped free gym and on-site wellness room in Brick Lane and 50% discount of external gym memberships
-Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Discount:
-Up to 40% off at all URBN Brands (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People and more!)
• Community:
-One paid day to either volunteer or fundraise for a charity of your choice
• Travel:
-Cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan
• Continued Development:
-We offer structured support within the business alongside continued learning and development

#UrbanEU #LI-MT1

URBN is an Equal Opportunities Employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We provide equal employment opportunities regardless of age, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, marital status, religion, race, or disability. We base all our employment decisions on merit, job requirements and business needs.