Free People is seeking a Senior Knitwear Designer!
The Free People Senior Knitwear Designer’s primary responsibility is to lead the development process of design projects supporting the Free People Collection Sweaters category. The Designer actively participates in designing seasonal collections, from initial concept research to knit stitch and pattern newness as well as execution on designs and presentations. Also, key in the role is to support the team to ensure that designs and resulting product are cohesive and on-trend for the Free People customer.
The Free People Collection Sweaters category touches several aesthetics across our Femme, Craft, Sensual and Modern customer. A successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the sweater category across yarns and knitwear construction and designs. They would have a strong vision for pushing fashion within new shapes, details as well as creating new patterns and techniques. The Free People Designer is passionate about knitting, fashion and trends and is all about pushing newness and product elevation to constantly bring unique designs ideas. This role require relocation to Philadelphia and the ability to work on site at our world class headquarters 3-5 days per week.
Role Responsibilities- The Senior Designer will work closely with the Senior Director on the design creation, development, and execution of own brand product across Free People Collection Sweaters with a strong focus on bringing in newness in shapes and strong fashion point of view.
- Be able to recognize and accurately forecast fashion and cultural trends and understand how they relate to the Free People customer. As a Senior Designer, you will play a key role in collaborating, brainstorming, and presenting monthly trend direction for your category alongside the Design Director.
- Support seasonal development calendar for both Retail & Wholesale deliveries.
- Identify global emerging trends in concept/stitch/pattern and yarn. Create and execute new layouts ideas for patterns, stitches and garment construction
- Manage development and execution of all design packages alongside Design Director and participate in all follow-up communication related to each package in partnership with the Design Coordinator, Product Development team and Technical Design teams.
- Review samples for fit, and construction. Attend Fittings and clearly communicate to technical teams any adjustments. Send timely comments to the factory pertaining to any design related adjustments. Must be able to communicate stitch and construction ideas through written comments and technical sketches.
- Strong initiative and point of view on design research and staying up to date with industry trend direction, color direction, and fabric innovations that can relate to the Free People target customer.
- Creative Contribution to the design process includes sketching new ideas with the help of procreate and Adobe programs (Illustrator, Photoshop), researching new trends and ideas as well as utilizing ai platforms to increase creative research (such as Midjourney)
- Ability to create and execute original knitwear ideas and designs, working with in house knitters and overseas to present your design’s vision in key design meetings.
- Thrive in a fast-paced environment, constantly pushing new ideas, concepts as well as responding to business objectives with creative and innovative designs to move the category forward.
- Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design with related sweater knitting field experience strongly preferred.
- 9+ Years experience in Sweater Design
- Sweaters Design Knowledge:
- Deep knowledge and expertise in yarns and sweaters materials as well as great understanding of Sweater process development timeline and execution. Full comprehension of fully fashioned sweater construction and fit
- Strong technical knowledge in sweater design and production process: yarn qualities and sizes, as well as knitting techniques, stitches and construction.
- Expert knowledge of knitting and sweater garment construction, knit machines, yarns, trims and washes. When needed be able to mock full garments from patterns, inspiration or draping on a form that can be modeled in presentations.
- Passion for Pattern and color, candidate must have the ability to translate and innovate new ways to express seasonal pattern direction.
- Advanced understanding of yarn textiles, garment construction/fit or raw materials & product production (including sweaters yarns & knitting constructions and sweater fabrications)
- Creative & Trend Vision:
- Creativity is a must! Having a strength in pushing new ideas, silhouettes, and design concepts
- Demonstrate the vision to identify trends in their early stages and understand their impact to fashion sweaters, so we can be one step ahead for the aspirational customer.
- Expertise in taking aspirational ideas, focusing on the key details and make them work for a broader audience and the Free People customer.
- Ability to research and report on industry trend and yarn direction and knitwear innovations approximately 9-12 months ahead of season.
- Excellent hand sketching and CAD skills in Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator
- Ai knowledge/experience would be a plus!
- Soft Skills:
- Strong project management skills and ability to manage the whole design process for multiple projects at different production stages
- Strong sense of organizational skills as well as passionate for a fast speed environment
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Ability to respond to business objectives with creative, innovative, and cost-effective design solutions
- Great team player with excellent communication skills to effectively collaborate with partners in Design, Buying, PD, and Production
- Excellent communication skills to communicate ideas and inspirations to others and to interact with Designers, Buyers and other Cross Functional partners. Collaboration across teams is key at Free People
- Some experience with managing 1-2 team members would be added value.
- Proficient in Google platforms (Slides/Docs/Sheets/Gmail)
- Ability to work on site 3-5 days per week at our World Headquarters in Philadelphia, PA.
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The PerksURBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits
EEO StatementURBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design
- 9+ years of experience in sweater design
- Deep knowledge of yarns, sweater materials, knitwear construction, fit, and development timelines
- Strong technical knowledge of sweater design and production, including yarn qualities, knitting techniques, stitches, and construction
- Expert knowledge of knitting, sweater garment construction, knit machines, yarns, trims, and washes
- Ability to mock full garments from patterns, inspiration, or draping on a form
- Ability to innovate pattern and color direction for seasonal collections
- Advanced understanding of yarn textiles, garment construction, fit, raw materials, and product production
- Ability to identify emerging fashion trends and understand their impact on sweater design
- Ability to research and report on industry trends, yarn direction, and knitwear innovations 9–12 months ahead of season
- Excellent hand-sketching and CAD skills using Procreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator
- AI knowledge or experience
- Strong project management and organizational skills across multiple design projects
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Ability to create creative, innovative, and cost-effective design solutions
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Experience managing one or two team members
- Proficiency with Google Slides, Docs, Sheets, and Gmail
- Ability to work onsite three to five days per week at the Philadelphia headquarters
- Ability to relocate to Philadelphia
Urban Outfitters, Inc. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Urban Outfitters, Inc. and has not been reviewed or approved by Urban Outfitters, Inc..
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Healthcare Strength — Full-time U.S. employees are described as having access to solid health-related coverage, including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance. Feedback suggests these offerings are viewed as a strong aspect of the package for eligible roles.
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Retirement Support — 401(k) access with company matching is highlighted, with comments indicating this is available to full-time employees and often to part-time staff as well. Sentiment points to this as a meaningful benefit alongside insurance coverage.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid vacation, sick leave, seven paid holidays, two floating holidays, and paid parental leave are listed for eligible full-time employees. These elements are presented as part of a broad leave program that enhances the overall benefits package.
Urban Outfitters, Inc. Insights
What We Do
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a global consumer-brand portfolio comprising Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, FP Movement, Anthropologie Weddings, Terrain, Menus & Venues, and Nuuly. The company creates unique retail experiences with a focus on creativity and pleasing customers. Its brands cultivate communities and provide inclusive platforms where customers, coworkers, partners, and followers can express themselves through creative expression and community.
