Junior Fashion Designer (Knitwear & Cold Weather Accessories, Fixed Term Contract)

We are looking for a Junior Fashion Designer for knitwear & cold weather accessories to join Team OB in our Support Office on a fixed-term contract

As a Junior Fashion Designer at OB, you will bring our concepts to life using your expertise to develop a knitwear and seasonal cold weather collection that is in-line with the brand’s vision and seasonal concepts.

Reporting to the Senior Knitwear Designer, you will work on projects together from initial concept through to completion using your creative and practical skills to support both your imagination and visualisation. You will work collaboratively with the Head of Design, the Buyer, and the Merchandiser to deliver an authentic and inspirational collection.

Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working with a split of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working per week, and are open to having conversations about working flexibly.

A bit about us …

At Oliver Bonas (OB), our values of Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind are integral to everything we do. Collaboration, imagination, curiosity, and teamwork are key to our success, and everyone has their part to play in making OB a special place to work.

Having fun is key, and a playful and positive approach creates an optimistic environment. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are serious about what we do.

Our team knows their stuff. They’re confident and creative and unafraid to challenge convention to find solutions, taking accountability for their actions, but always with kindness and humility.

More about the role …

An OB Junior Fashion Designer will:

• Support in designing a collection that is sympathetic and reactive to sales performance while still driving excitement and newness to the range on cold weather and knitwear

• Translate themes and trends into ideas or concepts for each season’s collections, including colour palette, pattern, materials and product

• Develop and design product with a unique point of difference to ensure we are the world’s pre-eminent British design-led lifestyle retailer

• Support with sourcing yarns that are in line with the concept and Oliver Bonas’ brand brief and strategy, that are correct for seasonality and timing

• Support in developing and sourcing yarns with sustainable attributes and supporting the business impact strategy

• Design a cold weather collection with the focus on gloves, hats and scarves.

• Collaborate with Senior Knitwear Designer to create a cohesive, surprising and commercial collection on knitwear

• Provide admin support for Senior Knitwear Designer from CADS, sourcing, general admin management.

• Support buying, and Senior Designer to review and approve all product specifications, final designs, colourways and final samples at sign off meetings

• Attend fit sessions with the Garment Technologists, communicating technical knowledge to the team where relevant.

• Assist the Head Fashion Designer, Senior Knitwear designer and Design team, creating seasonal department concepts and themes, colour palettes and trend research that are in line with the brand's handwriting and vision

• Research and assist the Senior Knitwear Designer and Head Fashion Designer with seasonal colour palettes ensuring the colour palettes work specific for product categories.

• Support with suggesting and finding colour tones that work in a cohesive way that are correct for material, timing, yarn and silhouette.

• Conduct trend research and market analysis, resulting in recommendations and new areas of potential business across all fashion departments.

• Collaborate with the Buying and Merchandising teams, analysing and creating new seasonal strategy plans for the department that are in line with the top-line strategy plan and company vision

• Review and react to the market and social trends to identify emerging product opportunities.

• Ensure the OB brand values are reflected in all areas of work, from design development to production

• Manage supplier communications with product development knowledge across the categories.

Bonas Benefits:

• Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB products

• Free access to our 24 hour employee assistance programme with Care First – offering financial, emotional and vocational support

• Flexible holiday – 30 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of service

• Annual discretionary profit related bonus scheme

• Free membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private Medical

• Auto-enrolment into our pension plan

• Free access to our onsite gym

• Cycle to work scheme

• Refer a Friend incentive

• Quarterly free lunch

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI team

• Mental Health First Aider support

• Education and support through 360L eLearning platform

What we look for:

• A Fashion or Product Design BA Hons or equivalent qualification

• Experience working with a knitwear supplier or fashion retailer supporting as a junior level designer is essential

• Experience with yarn development and understanding pricing and quality

• The ability to connect with OB brand identity and an understanding of the OB handwriting

• Technical knowledge on knitwear

• Excellent drawing skills and technical drawing ability

• Good eye for colour, pattern and detail

• Knowledge of construction and manufacturing processes

• Desire to continually learn and develop knowledge and skills

• Expert computer skills including CAD, Adobe Suite, Photoshop, and Illustrator, AI tools

• Big ideas and a strong conceptual imagination

• Confident communicator with the ability to influence and persuade

• An energetic, fun and flexible approach to how you work

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OB

At Oliver Bonas, our promise is to do our bit to make living a joyful experience and give cause for optimism. This promise is central to our work in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). To bring joy to others, we must first ensure everyone at OB feels valued, included and most importantly, can be themselves at work.

It is important to us that our brand reflects wider society and the communities in which we operate. As a result, we welcome all eligible applicants for this role however we are particularly interested in speaking to eligible candidates from the Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage communities.

Oliver Bonas is a Disability Confident Committed employer under the Disability Confident employer scheme.

To read more about our ED&I commitments, head over to the EDI page on our website: https://www.oliverbonas.com/meet-the-team/diversity