Knitwear Senior Designer

Position

Kenzo's Studio is looking for a Senior Knitwear designer to work on Mens & Womens Precollection working across all categories, including Accessories.

• Designing and developing the Men’s and Women’s Knitwear Pre Collections in line with the House’s creative direction and brand vision.
• Leading the design and development of two Pre Collections per year, as well as seasonal knitwear capsule collections.
• Conducting in-depth conceptual, vintage, technical and iconographic research to develop seasonal ideas, mood boards and knitwear directions.
• Translating graphics, artworks and visual research into knitwear-led concepts, textiles and fully developed products.
• Proposing original concepts, yarn developments, silhouettes and constructions each season with a strong understanding of contemporary knitwear innovation.
• Confidently managing projects from initial concept through sketching, launch, fittings, development and final product execution.
• Collaborating closely with Product Development teams on a daily basis to ensure the successful realisation of collections.
• Working cross-functionally with the wider Design Studio, including RTW Pre Collection teams, Graphics & Artwork teams, Merchandising and Production.
• Supporting collection planning, organisation and process improvement within the Knitwear Department.
• Leading fittings and maintaining a strong focus on garment construction, proportion and product quality throughout the development process.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with yarn suppliers and factories, with a solid understanding of factory capabilities, technical requirements and development timelines.
• Working closely with factories and yarn mills throughout the development process to support successful launches and ensure alignment between creative vision and technical execution.
• Researching and developing embellishment techniques, specialised finishes and added-value knitwear developments.
• Working within challenging calendars and timelines while maintaining a high standard of creativity, organisation and execution.
• Supporting the Head of Knitwear in driving the creative vision and development of the Pre Collection category.

Profile

• You have a minimum of 8 years’ experience as a Knitwear Designer in a similar role, with strong expertise across both Men’s and Women’s Knitwear.
• You possess an excellent understanding of knitwear techniques, yarns, garment construction and product development processes.
• You have experience working closely with European yarn mills and suppliers, ideally including attendance at industry trade fairs such as Pitti Filati.
• Experience working with Chinese yarn mills and factories would be highly appreciated.
• You are experienced in working directly with factories and understand technical development processes from both creative and production perspectives.
• You are highly competent across Adobe Suite and confident throughout the full design process, from concept to final product.
• Conceptual, organised and detail-oriented, you are able to translate research into commercially and creatively relevant knitwear collections.
• Collaborative and proactive, you are comfortable working independently and taking ownership of projects while working closely with management direction.
• You possess strong communication skills, are solutions-oriented and able to perform effectively within fast-paced and demanding timelines.
• You are recognised for your organisational skills, professionalism, clarity and commitment to product quality.