Designer

Who Are We:

We are an Adelaide based fashion house that began nearly 10 years ago with the now globally recognised brand 'Acler'. Acler is a female founded and led business that at its heart, celebrates quality textiles, masterful craftsmanship and accessible luxury pieces. From the success of Acler grew our second brand 'Significant Other'. Significant Other is a pioneering force for artisanal luxury and resort-wear, a renowned presence in the Australian and international markets. Both brands have expanded rapidly, with an ever-growing list of major retailers across the US, EU, UK and Middle East.

It was important to Creative Directors and brand founders Kathryn Forth and Julia Ritorto, to keep Acler & Significant Other's operations in South Australia. To nurture talent in their home-state and offer employment opportunities that otherwise might only be found in Australia's major cities. Furthermore, integrity is at the heart of everything we do, from setting up a Scholarship opportunity for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students, to our overarching work in the Reconciliation space and our ongoing charity partnerships with local not-for-profits, we're committed to being excellent and doing excellent things. If you're an excellent human, who resonates with the above; please assess your skills* against the requirements below.

What We Offer:

·      An empowering female founded and led environment. We know the juggle of work & parenthood, once a month health challenges, and all that's in between, that's why we have a team first culture. We also encourage all identities in our workplace; if successful you will be welcomed into a friendly, kind, and open working environment.

·      We offer a fun and supportive working environment; we encourage 360 feedback from direct reports to managers and vice versa. We know a happy team is an effective and pro-active team and offer managerial support and training throughout the year to foster this culture.

·      We're passionate about continuing our operations in South Australia and keeping talent in the state. To do this we offer competitive salaries and work flexibility, and we're happy to flex working hours to fit around study and/or parenting schedules. Or, maybe you're a morning person and want to come in early so you can leave by 4pm? Or, you want to start a bit later at 9.30am? That's ok too.

·      We have a strong staff retention rate and we're passionate about offering staff growth and development opportunities so they can stay and grow here as we continue to expand. Employees are encouraged to seek out relevant training programmes they can undertake to support both their own learning and our company growth.

·      We have excelled as a business, so much so we were driven to start another business. We have highly skilled teams to both create and promote our globally coveted pieces. This is an opportunity to be part of that, and work alongside people who are nothing short of remarkable.

·      Last (but certainly not least) we offer a lucrative staff discount. Each season all employees can purchase yet to be released pieces from both brands in their size, and because we drop new arrivals every month – staff orders arrive monthly You'll also receive first access to our famous annual sample sale.

*We've seen the research that suggests that women and underrepresented groups often don't apply for roles because they don't feel they fit enough of the criteria.  Even if you're only 60% there, we'd like to hear from you.

Scope of Role:

The Designer plays a key role in developing seasonal collections that align with the brand's creative vision and commercial strategy. This position supports the Senior Designer and Head of Design in all aspects of the design process—from research and range planning to tech packs, fittings, and exclusive capsule development. The role requires a blend of creativity, technical skills, market awareness, and attention to detail, with a strong ability to manage deadlines and collaborate cross-functionally.

Duties Include:

Range Planning & Design

• Contribute to range planning, ensuring each collection meets brand, pricing, and commercial objectives.
• Conduct trend and market research to identify new design opportunities.
• Assist in designing and sketching seasonal collections, including digital CADs, under the direction of the Senior Designer.
• Develop and update design tools such as colour palettes, CADs and seasonal pre-lines.
• Collaborate on print development and recolouring; creating bespoke prints and embellishment artworks as required.
• Lead and manage special projects such as recuts, exclusives, and short-run capsule ranges as briefed by the Head of Design and Wholesale team.

Tech Packs & Toile Development

• At times support the design technicians to prepare accurate and detailed tech packs, ensuring all information is supplier-ready.
• Support the team in developing mock-ups and toiles, while actively improving draping and 3D development skills.

Product Development Support

• Work with the Product Developer to review and provide feedback on fabric and trim submissions.
• Support in managing and populating supplier bibles and development trackers.

Fittings & Fit Development

• Participate in sampling reviews and contribute fit feedback alongside the Senior Designer.
• Handover garments and fit notes to the Design Technician clearly and accurately.
• Assist in fittings as needed and actively build confidence in fit analysis to support the team during busy development phases.
• Collaborate with Design Technicians and Coordinators to resolve construction issues and manage costs to achieve target FOBs.

Exclusives, SMUs & Product Extensions

• Lead the design and development of exclusives and SMU (Special Make-Up) styles for wholesale and eCommerce partners.
• Manage the creative and technical process for exclusive capsules, including costing, print development, lab dips, and strike-off approvals.
• In consultation with the Head of Design and Creative Director, design and develop new product extensions and capsules in response to market needs.

Team Collaboration & Leadership

• Contribute to a collaborative, solution-focused team environment.
• Provide mentorship and day-to-day support to junior team members where appropriate.
• Take initiative in managing own workload and stepping into project management roles as required.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong sketching, CAD, and Adobe Creative Suite skills (particularly Illustrator)
• Excellent eye for print, colour, and silhouette
• Strong understanding of garment construction, fabrications, and embellishment
• High level of organization and attention to detail
• Commercial awareness and ability to design for different markets
• Confident communicator and collaborator
• Proactive problem solver with the ability to manage multiple deadlines

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or a related field
• 3–5 years' experience in a design role within a fashion business, ideally across contemporary or commercial womenswear
• Experience in end-to-end design development including tech packs, fitting, and offshore supplier communication
• Previous experience working on exclusives, SMUs, or capsule collections is highly regarded.

Salary and Contract:

Adelaide Head Office based

Full Time

Salary $80,000 to $90,000 inclusive of super, dependent on experience.

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing experience relevant to the role as outlined in the Position Description by 27th October 2025