Assistant Designer - Denim

Overview

The Assistant Designer for Denim at JCPenney plays a vital role in supporting the design and development of Arizona denim collections, guiding products from the initial concept stage through to production. This position involves close collaboration with teams across Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Technical Design, Production, and Sourcing to create fashion-forward, customer-centric denim offerings tailored to multiple retail partners and sales channels.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist the design team in crafting seasonal denim collections for assigned categories.
• Investigate current fashion, denim culture, and social media trends to uncover opportunities relevant to the Arizona customer base.
• Contribute to the creation of inspiration boards, seasonal themes, trend briefings, and color schemes.
• Develop and update sketches, computer-aided designs (CADs), technical flats, and various presentation materials under guidance from senior designers.
• Support innovation in washes, fabric choices, trims, and other design elements aligned with seasonal product goals.
• Conduct competitive retail and online market research.
• Assist in assembling and maintaining technical specification packs with detailed design, construction, trims, and wash instructions.
• Organize and monitor sample progress throughout development cycles.
• Participate in wash development by evaluating strike-offs, wash submissions, and samples with management to ensure consistency with design intent.
• Prepare samples and detailed supporting materials for fittings and review sessions.
• Collaborate with Technical Design and Product Development teams to update and maintain accurate product records.
• Ensure design specs are accurately uploaded and updated in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems timely.
• Engage with cross-functional teams during product development, including attending sample reviews, fittings, seasonal meetings, and line reviews.
• Communicate status updates and development needs with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support preparation of seasonal presentations and leadership reviews.
• Track denim and fashion trends through retail channels, social media, runway shows, and competitor analysis.
• Maintain organized archives of trends, washes, fabrics, and inspirational materials for the design team.
• Stay informed on advances in denim fabrics, fits, washes, sustainability efforts, and consumer preferences.
• Manage sample libraries, wash standards, fabric swatches, trims, and seasonal design documentation meticulously.
• Assist with scheduling and adhering to seasonal calendars and milestones.
• Organize essential design documents, line sheets, and presentation decks.
• Contribute to special projects and additional design initiatives as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Apparel Design, or a relevant field.
• 0 to 2 years of design-related experience including internships or relevant apparel industry exposure.
• Passion for denim design, evolving fashion trends, and product development procedures.
• Basic understanding of apparel construction, fit, fabric types, washes, and garment production stages.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems is advantageous.
• Strong abilities in sketching, CAD creation, and technical flat drawing.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and time-management skills.
• Capacity to juggle multiple tasks and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment.
• A collaborative attitude coupled with eagerness to learn and evolve in a design team.
• Knowledge of AI-driven design and visualization platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Vizcom, or similar is a plus.

Core Competencies

• Trend research and consumer insight
• Denim and apparel fundamentals
• Technical flats and CAD development
• Product development support
• Detail-oriented organization
• Cross-departmental collaboration
• Effective time management
• Creative problem-solving
• Strong communication skills
• Adaptability and continuous learning
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite
• Experience or awareness of AI-assisted design tools

Compensation

The role offers an annual salary ranging from $57,200 to $104,000 USD per year.