Manager, Fashion Expertise, Chicago

Manager, Fashion Expertise, Chicago

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to CHANEL. 

About the role:  

The Manager, Fashion Expertise plays a key role in transmitting the creative vision of the House to Boutique Teams in their market, enabling enchanting storytelling, exceptional service, and the finest style experience for every CHANEL client.  

Based primarily in the Chicago boutique, this role will also support the Neiman Marcus Chicago and Saks Troy boutiques, the Manager, Fashion Expertise will act as the liaison between the Fashion Expertise Office and Fashion Retail teams in their market.  

The Manager, Fashion Expertise develops the expertise of CHANEL Boutique teams across collections, product knowledge, luxury service standards, client experience, and styling. The Manager, Fashion Expertise drives interactive learning on and off the boutique floor, facilitates styling development, provides individual coaching, and partners with Boutique Leadership Teams to sustain and elevate retail boutique performance.

What impact you can create at CHANEL: 

DRIVES INTERACTIVE LEARNING ON AND OFF THE BOUTIQUE FLOOR: 

• Deliver inspiring, concrete, and impactful in-boutique training sessions on collections, savoir-faire, product knowledge, and service behaviors. 

• Position CHANEL as the ultimate fashion house at each collection launch, delivering a collection message consistent with global vision yet tailored to local specificities. 

• Support retail staff in understanding and transmitting CHANEL's fashion singularity. 

• Promote monthly digital learning content and track digital learning completion.  

• Embody the Client Relational Promise, fostering a client-centric culture that sparks emotion and builds authentic connections. 

FACILITATES ADVISOR & CLIENT STYLING DEVELOPMENT: 

• Coach Style Advisors to enhance their ability to provide personalized style advice, curate looks and build strong client relationships grounded in individual tastes and lifestyles. 

• Animate styling training workshops and strengthen Style Advisor & Fashion Advisor confidence and skill in offering personalized styling recommendations. 

• Monitor styling training effectiveness through observation and qualitative feedback. 

• Co-create action plans with Boutique Leadership on Style Advisor & Fashion Advisor styling development and client opportunities. 

• Partner with Fashion Expertise Home Office, Style Advisors and Fashion Advisors to animate client styling appointments in boutiques including following up on KPI tracking 

• Provide client feedback to Fashion Expertise Home Office 

COACHING & TALENT DEVELOPMENT 

• Identify individual training and coaching needs and tailor development plans accordingly in strong partnership with Boutique Leadership. 

• Conduct on-site coaching and evaluations, providing structured feedback to Boutique Managers and Fashion Advisors to foster a culture of continuous excellence. 

• Recognize styling and retail talent and actively support their progression toward Style Advisor or Retail Management roles. 

COLLABORATE AS A BUSINESS PARTNER WITH BOUTIQUE LEADERSHIP 

• Cultivate a growth mindset by actively engaging Boutique Leaders in learning and development initiatives. 

• Drive the transmission of product and style content to maximize collection impact and support business objectives, including strategies to address slow-sellers. 

• Partner with the Boutique Leadership Team on service indicators, Voice of Client (VOC) results, and deliver qualitative insights to Fashion Expertise Home Office 

GUIDE NEW TALENT & ACCOMPANY ONBOARDING 

• Partner closely with Boutique Leadership to design and deliver inspiring New Hire onboarding programs, supporting newcomers in deeply understanding the heritage, DNA, codes, and singularity of the House. 

• Support Boutique Managers in the delivery of onboarding content, ensuring consistency of the CHANEL experience from day one. 

You Are Energized By:  

• The world of fashion - exploring its rich history, staying attuned to current trends, and keeping a curious eye on the creative strategies of other brands and competitors.  

• Building client relationships and delivering exceptional client experiences 

• Facilitating engaging, formalized training sessions within the retail environment and inspiring others through dynamic presentations and daily interactions. 

• Building fruitful collaborations with Boutique Teams, Style Advisors, and cross-functional colleagues. 

• Learning continuously, embracing new challenges, seeking feedback, and growing within the world of CHANEL. 

What You Will Bring: 

• Recognized styling expertise and a strong, confident fashion flair. 

• A client-centered mindset, always seeking to deliver unforgettable experiences and lasting connections. 

• Significant experience in luxury fashion, retail, or hospitality, with a deep understanding of client expectations in a luxury environment. 

• Proven experience in retail training, preferably in the luxury sector, with demonstrated ability to facilitate, coach, and evaluate. 

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect authentically with individuals and groups of all sizes. 

• A proven ability to manage, motivate, building a collaborative, team-focused culture and providing constructive feedback with confidence. 

• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deliver projects on schedule, and work both independently and transparently. 

• Sound judgment and autonomy, with the ability to exercise good decision-making and provide clear, concise updates to management. 

• Ability to travel frequently across boutiques within the market. 

• A genuine passion for the House of CHANEL, its heritage, creations, codes, and its commitment to social and cultural initiatives. 

• Foreign language skills are a plus but not required. 

Position Logistics:  

• Minimum 5 years of related experience  

• Bachelor’s degree (preferred)  

• Ability to lift 15 lbs, walk and/or stand for extended periods of time    

• A flexible schedule with the ability to work late nights, weekends, and some holidays  

• Boutique Management: Requires in-store presence to develop and coach teams, ensure boutique image and operational standards are upheld, and deliver elevated client service to drive business results  

*Chanel, Inc. reserves the right to edit, change, or make exceptions on designations where circumstances where deemed appropriate. 

Compensation: 

• The anticipated base salary range for this position is $92,400 through $110,000. Base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other forms of variable pay [may/will] be offered for this position. Other components [may/will] include bonus potential, benefits, and/or perks. 

Benefits and Perks: 

• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing, Wellbeing Days in Retail,and a Wellbeing fund  

• Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork, and Care.com Membership) 

• Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days  

• 401K and other incentives  

• Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program 

• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking 

Additional Information: 

Chanel is a private company whose values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth. This is reflected in: 

 Diversity and Inclusion: 

At CHANEL, we are intentional in promoting Diversity & Inclusion. We foster respect, empathy and dignity for all.  We believe strongly that the diversity of our people across the full spectrum of human differences is essential to our organization and the connections we have with each other and our clients.  

We offer Employee Resource Groups in the US that are voluntary, open to all, employee-led groups formed around a shared identity or lived experience, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community aligned with the values and missions of the communities they support.  

 Chanel Community: 

CHANEL Community empowers our employees to channel their passions, talents and sense of purpose to contribute to and learn from our communities. 

Employees are encouraged to take time off annually to volunteer through CHANEL Community. CHANEL also matches employee donations to select charitable organizations. 
 
Sustainability: 

CHANEL Mission 1.5° is our climate action plan. It is focused on transforming the business in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the average global mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. 

Employees are encouraged to contribute to our US Sustainability efforts at the corporate level and within the divisions, through organized taskforces and initiatives. 
 
Arts and Culture: 

We are committed to extending our legacy of cultural engagement. Global support includes the CHANEL Culture Fund, which supports a select group of leading art culture institutions across the globe, and the CHANEL Next Prize for the next generation of creative talent.  US support currently includes Annual sponsorship of the MoMA film program, Tribeca Film Festival programs and Through Her Lens, Support of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women and Sponsorship of the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center.