BAGS DESIGNER / PRODUCT COORDINATOR - 6 MONTHS FTC

We are looking for a Bags Designer/ Product Coordinator to join our team at Penn St London. Beyond Retro is the leading Vintage Clothing Chain in the UK and Sweden. We are dedicated to bringing high quality vintage garments and accessories to our fashion forward customers. "Beyond Retro Label” is our own range of clothing and accessories designed in London and manufactured in our factory in India.

Taking an innovative and ethical approach to manufacturing, Beyond Retro Label is about completely deconstructing and reworking original vintage garments on a mass scale. We currently produce a high volume of units per month in our own factory with plans to expand our production in the coming year.

We are looking for an individual with a solid high-street or freelance background in bags design, it is very important that this person has strong technical skills and knowledge of bags developments, plus experience of developing QC procedures, tech packs and specs for Far East and/or Indian factories.  You will work daily with the Production Manager and our factory to brief, design, and communicate new designs that can help benefit the brand. This role is for a fixed term of 6 months, this can be either full-time or part-time dependent on level of experience.


THE ROLE...

  • 6 months fixed term contract at our head office, Penn St, London
  • Develop and present seasonal trends to management and key team members
  • Create and brief detailed spec packs with sketches/measurements for all bag designs
  • Provide technical notes and support to our factory for all bag samples from concept to gold seal
  • Contribute towards the development and planning of seasonal strategy
  • Work with Raw Material Coordinator to ensure volumes of existing used garments are available to be be reworked to new designs
  • Help manage the critical path alongside Production Manager to ensure all deadlines are met in accordance to key business KPIs
  • Present sign off meetings to management alongside Production Manager
  • Undertake regular comp shops and stores visits to identify emerging trends and also identify potential QC issues or minor changes that could be made to improve overall quality
  • Develop QC standards to improve construction and production consistency for all gold sealed bags
  • Help train team members where appropriate on new ways of bags sampling that will help  improve timings and overall look of the bags.
  • Work closely with Wholesale Coordinator to create ranges and designs for new wholesale customers. Also help create seasonal lookbook ranges and product sheets for customers
  • Involved within product engineering to maximize quality and collaborate with Production to achieve the required margin targets.
  • Daily communications with our Factory and Product Development Team on quality. Trouble shooting and contribute to quality issue resolving
  • Promoting quality at all times, whilst ensuring designs are commercially viable
  • Traveling to international factories and store visits throughout the year 

 

WORKING AT BEYOND RETRO...

  • You will be eligible for a 50% discount in stores
  • Have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to a company dedicated to providing a sustainable solution to fast fashion
  • Be able to develop your skills with workshops provided by our in-house Learning & Development manager 

 

ABOUT YOU...

    • Degree in Apparel/Bags Design
    • +2 years work experience in bags manufacturing and product development for a high street brand
    • Experience of working with used clothing or ‘seconds’ is highly advantageous
    • Strong technical knowledge on bags (design, specs, fits)
    • Thorough understanding of garment construction and deconstruction
    • Experience with technical specifications and technical drawings using  Adobe Illustrator, CAD and/or Photoshop
    • Open minded and ‘can do’ attitude
    • Strong fashion aptitude with an eye for detail and a passion for vintage clothing
    • The ability to analyse fashion and textile trends combined with an excellent market awareness
    • An ability to work cooperatively in a fast paced team environment
    • Self-starter personality; driven by deadlines with a high sense of urgency
    • Intermediate Excel skills
    • Ability to travel as required including up to 4-6 trips per year for extended duration to Asia and North America