Senior Handbag and Accessories Designer

About the role

You will own the end-to-end creative vision for women's handbags and accessories, translating sustainability and style into tangible collections that define the Rothy's brand narrative. You will act as the central creative force driving knit and non-knit accessory development from initial inspiration through final production delivery. This role requires you to champion innovation while maintaining rigorous standards for quality, materials, and ethical production. You will collaborate daily with cross-functional partners to ensure that every design decision aligns with both creative ambition and commercial success. You will leverage deep expertise in materials and color to build cohesive, on-trend assortments that resonate with our customer base. You will serve as the guardian of design integrity, ensuring that every product reflects the brand's commitment to performance, comfort, and planet-first thinking. You will own complex problem-solving related to knitting technologies and material limitations, turning constraints into elegant design solutions. You will be responsible for maintaining the strategic library of ideas, concepts, and executions that fuel future seasons of Rothy's accessories.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design and assort women's handbags and accessories using knit and non-knit materials, managing the full concept-to-production journey.
• Create, upload, and maintain detailed technical packages (tech packs) inside the Centric PLM system to ensure clarity and accuracy.
• Research emerging industry trends to shape future directions for accessory colors, textures, and intricate details.
• Partner consistently with Leadership, Merchants, and cross-functional Design teams to align on strategy and execution throughout development.
• Liaise directly with factories to refine color, texture, and prototype outcomes, ensuring expectations are met precisely.
• Resolve technical challenges specific to knitting materials by working hand-in-hand with manufacturing partners.
• Conduct thorough reviews of prototypes and pre-production samples to verify conformance with technical specifications.
• Support the strategic selection of colors when introducing new materials to the collection.
• Develop precise color and technical specifications that guide production teams and ensure repeatability.
• Contribute to the innovation of trims and novelty components that enhance the functionality and appeal of accessories.
• Maintain highly organized design files and databases, ensuring all information is current and easily accessible.
• Oversee color dip approvals to guarantee that physical outputs match digital standards exactly.
• Create comprehensive hardware tech packs that communicate design intent and construction details clearly.
• Sustain and evolve material, hardware, and trim libraries to support long-term design coherence.
• Organize the sample closet systematically and ensure that outdated samples are responsibly recycled.
• Complete all assigned tasks within established timeframes while strictly adhering to the brand's development calendar.

Requirements

You bring 8 years of focused experience in knit color development, ideally within the accessories category, demonstrating mastery of this specialized discipline. You possess expert proficiency in creating and evolving colors and textures specifically for knit materials, applying this knowledge daily. Your background reflects a demonstrable passion for accessories, color, pattern, knitwear, innovation, and the principles of sustainability that define our mission. You operate at a high level of proficiency in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, using these tools to express design concepts and execute detailed specifications. You have a deep, intrinsic understanding of textile color science and material development processes, allowing you to predict outcomes and solve complex problems. You grasp product development practices holistically, understanding how strategy, design, and manufacturing intersect to bring products to market. You have a proven track record of creating industry-standard technical specifications that are clear, accurate, and actionable for global teams. You are fluent in the use of PLM systems like Centric, leveraging them to manage data, track progress, and safeguard critical design information.

Practical notes

Hours: Full-time

Travel: None

Visa: None

Deadlines: Apply with current resume and portfolio as roles fill quickly