Creative Fashion Designer

Rachel Gilbert is a leading name in Australian Luxury Fashion, renowned for its timeless elegance and refined craftsmanship. The brand has dressed women around the world for life's most significant moments. With a strong heritage in design and an international presence, Rachel Gilbert continues to evolve as a modern brand.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the design team at a pivotal time of expansion. This role is ideal for a skilled designer who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is eager to contribute meaningfully to a brand known for its elegance, innovation, and commitment to excellence in design.

Role Purpose

This role plays a crucial part within the design team, bringing the brand's vision to life across various design responsibilities. Reporting directly to the Senior Designer, this role will support the senior team across all aspects of collection development and sample coordination. Working in a collaborative environment, this role thrives on creative exploration and detailed craftsmanship. The Designer role offers end-to-end involvement in the design process, with responsibilities spanning hand draping, trim design and development, concept creation, embellishment design, CADs, sketching, tech pack preparation, range sheet management, colour direction, and sample management.

Creative and Design Development

1. Concept and present new design ideas in line with the brand aesthetic and seasonal briefs while bringing your unique creative flair.
2. Bring concepts to life through storyboards, hand draping, and hand sketches.
3. Support fittings to evolve design ideas and review garment construction, ensuring exceptional quality.
4. Support draping, fabric manipulation, and garment construction exploration.
5. Design and develop seasonal jewelry, hardware, and accessories concepts.
6. Maintain and curate design boards to share with the wider team.
7. Create seasonal embellishments and embellished trims, upholding the quality and intricacy of the brand standards.
8. Create and update CAD drawings, sketches, and technical illustrations.
9. Assist with design and placement of embellishments and trims.
10. Contribute to colour direction, fabric selection, and trim development.
11. Generate tech pack preparation for new styles, including Bills of Materials (BOMs).

Sample and SMS Range Coordination

1. Maintain accurate and up-to-date range sheets, including style codes, colours, fabrics, trims, and factory details.
2. Support preparation and organisation of seasonal racks.
3. Coordinate parcels, sample requests, and tracking with suppliers and factories.
4. Prepare and manage samples for fittings, range reviews, and photoshoots.

Collaboration and Administration

1. Work closely with the Head of Design and Product Development teams to ensure smooth workflow between creative and production processes.
2. Maintain detailed records of development progress, fabric/trim sourcing, and supplier communications.
3. Ensure seasonal documentation is accurate and accessible for cross-department use.
4. Assist the Head of Design and Product Development teams with parcel coordination.

Qualifications & Experience

• Tertiary qualification in Fashion Design or related discipline.
• 3+ years' experience in a design or product development role within the fashion industry.
• Strong sketching, CAD, and technical drawing skills.
• Proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent understanding of garment construction, fabrics, trims, and embellishment techniques.
• Strong organisational skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Skills & Attributes

• Highly creative with a strong eye for detail.
• Proactive and adaptable, with a willingness to take initiative.
• Collaborative team player with strong communication skills.
• Passionate about fashion, innovation, and brand storytelling.

Why Work with Us?

• Summer Fridays.
• A day off on your birthday.
• Frequent wellness and team culture activities.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Collaborative and passionate team culture.