Freelance Luxury Product Developer

Location

West London | United Kingdom

Job description

Create have partnered with an prestigious Luxury Fashion brand based in West London who are looking for a freelance luxury product developer to support their Production and Development team as they grow.

This role is a full time freelance position with an immediate start.

Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain a close working partnership with Design. Acting as the technical partner for design, attending fittings, providing feedback on technical feasibility, brainstorming ideas and solutions to ensure the design vision is translated into product
• Responsible for building and maintaining effective working relationships with vendors, developing a strong working knowledge of vendor capability and availability to meet demands. This includes negotiating on costs as well as aesthetic changes to ensure design vision is maintained
• Implement and manage the critical path from concept to pre-production with design and manufacturers. Ensuring deadlines are adhered to and following up on all prototype/sample issues to resolve and drive to completion. Identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified at all stages
• Deliver prototypes and samples on time, to the quality standard, and within cost price range, to achieve target margin
• Research of yarns and materials, following special techniques development
• Ensure functionality (including consistency and standardisation) and that products developed are fit for purpose for the customer and brand. This includes ongoing risk assessment during the development process and proactivity in taking actions as a result
• Collaborate with the production teams while developing the collections for product testing to relevant standards, leveraging their technical knowledge and negotiating any aesthetic changes to protect the design vision
• Support production meetings follow ups at vendors, technical requirements of all proto and samples in preparation for production
• Supporting, coaching and developing more junior members of the team
• Ensure the system is kept updated with product information and 100% accuracy at all times.

The candidate:

• Product Development experience, specifically in luxury RTW required
• Ability to work in partnership with Senior Designers, understanding and interpreting their creative aesthetic and design vision and translating this to vendors
• Technical capability and product knowledge with ability to confidently influence the Design team and provide on the spot solutions in:
– Garment construction, pattern cutting and fabric construction
– Knowledge of yarn, stiches and knitwear production methods, including machine and hand knitting techniques
• Experience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs and leveraging relationships to meet demands
• Critical path management ensuring collections are delivered on time, identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified
• Able to manage within a budget with commercial awareness and understanding of product cost, achieving a balance between creativity and commercial implications throughout the product development process
• Demonstrated experience working on site with vendors and operational knowledge of factories, delivering clear briefs and leveraging relationships and availability to meet demands
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to negotiate with credibility, share information effectively, and work confidently with cross functional teams
• In depth knowledge of fashion and shoes –‘fashion sensibility’ – knowledge of trends, the market, the luxury consumer and peer awareness
• Computer skills: Zedonk and Excel

Job tags

Salary

£28 per hour