lululemon - Design Director

LOCATION: Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada

JOB FAMILY GROUP: Design

Job Summary: 

The Design Director at lululemon leads a team of designers in creating world class athletic apparel that is acknowledged as leading in innovation, design, function, fit and quality. Under the mentorship of the VP of Design you lead a team of designers in creating a line from inception of ideas to production of garments. You are responsible for your team’s execution of the Creative Direction. 

You combine active product use experience, market knowledge and trend research to inform your point of view on how to build a seasonal collection of functional, innovative, quality designs. You are a master at enrolling your team of designers and cross functional partners in executing this vision. 

You partner with athletes to continually elevate and innovate our product. 

Teamwork and clear communication are essential. You are a leader on the cross functional team collaborating with design operations, product development, fit, merchandising, raw materials development, colour and sourcing ensuring all teams have the most up to date information on each style. 
You have razor sharp attention to detail around product/process so that we can build beautiful technical athletic apparel. 

You are passionate about people development and work closely with recruiting and People Potential to hire and develop the next generation of lululemon leaders. 

You work two shifts per month on the retail floor and participate in fitness classes in the community. 

Core Accountabilities: 

• Under the creative direction and leadership of the EVP/SVP of Design you lead a team of designers and support function roles in executing the seasonal vision
• Responsible to support in creating the Creative Season Kick Off including but not limited to: building mock ups, fabric boards, selecting tears and building presentations
• Responsible for working with Merchandising to build the seasonal line plan and hold this vision of a cohesive assortment for your team throughout the season
• Give clear, consistent and inspiring direction on silhouette, fabric, trim, technology and trend so your designers are able to create freely into the seasonal vision
• Research, ideate, sketch and create mood and fabric boards to support in communicating the creative direction and vision to your design team and cross functional partners
• Ability to apply, perform and manage design skills such as drawing/sketching, concept ideation, texture and scale
• Expert ability at draping, understanding patterns and creating 3D forms
• Partner with the in house workshop to create mock ups and prototypes
• Ability to quickly and accurately communicate design vision through technical and detailed sketches
• Prepare and effectively present design concepts that communicate seasonal direction to design leadership and cross functional partners
• Responsible for the clear communication of product information so accurate technical sketches, colour legends, prototypes and BOM’s can be created
• Ability to communicate feedback in fittings so that style changes can be effectively executed and passion for teaching this to others
• Responsible for ensuring all styles deliver our standards of quality, beauty and function to our guest
• Collaborate with Product Development, Raw Materials and Whitespace teams on the testing of products and fabrics by athletes and ensure results are incorporated into design concepts
• Awareness of what’s happening in the athletic and fashion industry – research
• Awareness of how the line is currently performing in stores - work in the stores, lead design meetings, partner with athletes and action feedback for continual innovation of product
• Responsible for understanding the impact of your decisions on timelines and margins and for coaching other designers on the team
• Responsible for reviewing and coaching designers in writing powerful “Why We Made This” lines
• Ability to travel to offshore factories and on inspiration trips as needed
• Responsible for performance evaluations, hiring and consistent coaching of your design team
• Be a leader on the retail floor and on the design/product team
• Know and be an expert in the fitness community
• Any other duties as required
Academic/Educational Requirements: 
• BA, BFA or BS in Design required (or equivalent) 
• MA if applicable
Working Conditions: 

• May have to do some light lifting of supplies and materials from time to time (approx 20 lbs.) 
• Will spend long hours sitting and using office equipment and computers
• Incumbent may find environment to be busy and noisy
Our “must haves”: 

• Minimum 7 years industry experience
• Minimum 5 years managing a team
• Experience managing/forecasting budgets for division
• Expert knowledge of garment construction, patterning, textiles, sewing techniques and technology applications. 
• Natural ability to oversee and lead the team in the design and development of product, ensuring commercial viability with the Product Developer, Raw Materials Developer, Merchant and Sourcing Manager
• Adhere to strict timelines and calendar dates to deliver exceptional product, on-time
• Proficiency with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Excel, Word, Mac platform
• Past experience communicating with offshore factories
• Actively live and breathe the lululemon culture and lifestyle
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Egoless nature
• Learner
• Listener
• Leader and coach
• Approachable, available and fun
• Passionate and knowledgeable about yoga, run, and athletics