Design Director

Los Angeles, CA

Who we are

lululemon is a yoga-inspired technical apparel company up to big things. The practice and philosophy of yoga informs our overall purpose to elevate the world through the power of practice. We are proud to be a growing global company with locations all around the world, from Vancouver to Shanghai, and places in between. We owe our success to our innovative product, our emphasis on our stores, our commitment to our people, and the incredible connections we get to make in every community we are in.

About this team

The Women’s design team is a diverse team of creative and strategic thinkers, who are future thinking, detail-orientated and solution focussed. They are at the forefront of women’s activewear and aware of macro lifestyle and fashion trends and how this relates to the active industry. They are passionate about Run, Train & Yoga, and fulfilling every women’s needs in their wardrobes. They are strong communicators who value and develop their cross functional relationships. This is a team of high performers who are constantly striving to develop personally and professionally, practicing open feedback in a trusting space. This team knows how to bring fun into their everyday, prioritising team connection and enjoying sweat & creative sessions together.

A day in the life:

The Design Director at lululemon collaborates with the VP in leading the design process with the team you are working with. You understand the brand essence, ethos and coach and lead it. Under the mentorship & partnership of the VP, you execute the category’s strategy and create and develop the line from inception of ideas to production of garments. You have experience in both technical and trend forward outerwear and you embed both world into each product & find the blend of function and beauty.

You lead, inspire and coach. You manage the people and the process – creating structure for the design team. You are part of the leadership team that reports into the women’s design team. You manage the workflow and workload of the team seasonally, allocating resources and support where needed. You lead the designer’s day to day in collaborating across teams for a cohesive line. You partner with People & Culture to provide world class training and experiences for our designers. Your role is a balance of leading and designing.

As the Design Director, you will be part of the upfront work for the season, contributing to the build of our seasonal narrative and working closely with your design leaders to instill the vision into the team’s work. As a Director, you are accountable for the performance and results of your category. You excel at presenting your teams concepts and communicating seasonal direction and design to the design leadership team, as well as the design team.

You work closely with merchants on the assortment and the direction of the line, and with the sourcing team to ensure we have the right partners to innovate with. You also partner with the Go to Market team on the seasonal calendar and workflow of major design events – strategy and solution-focused.

You are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day of the design team to execute seasonal styles that reflect lululemon's Women's Design ethos. You coach and inspire the design team in the work. You have clear reference points in terms of understanding product storytelling, design and construction.
You are responsible for understanding the impact of your decisions on timelines and margins and help instill discipline to more junior designers on the team. You are accountable for the performance of your category.
You combine active product use experience, market knowledge, trend research, and collaboration between lululemon designers to create functional, innovative, quality designs.
You partner with ambassadors and athletes to continually elevate and innovate our product.
Teamwork and clear communication are essential. You work cross-functionally within the pod, collaborating with product development, fit, merchandising, raw materials development and colour, sourcing and design operations, ensuring your teams have the most up to date information on each style.
You have razor sharp attention to detail around product/process so that we build beautiful technical athletic apparel. You have a clear understanding of function and how to embed style, beauty and fashion where needed finding a balance in the product.
Awareness of how the line is currently performing in stores -- join key meetings for downloads, lead design meetings, partner with your leaders to action feedback for continual innovation of product and to the junior members of the team.

Qualifications:

12-15 years minimum experience required, combination of industry experience and people management
Experience working for a multibillion-dollar brand is required
BA, BFA or BS in Design required (or equivalent)
Proficient in Adobe Illustrator
Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Excel, Word, Mac platform
An understanding in 3d design would be a benefit

Must haves:

Acknowledges the presence of choice in every moment and takes personal responsibility for their life
Possess an entrepreneurial spirit and continuously innovates to achieve great results
Communicates with honesty and kindness and creates the space for others to do the same
Leads with courage, knowing the possibility of greatness is bigger than the fear of failure
Fosters connection by putting people first and building trusting relationships
Integrates fun and joy as a way of being and working, aka doesn't take themselves too seriously