The future looks like you
With over 1,300 stores in 17 European countries and more than 25,000 employees, C&A is one of Europe’s leading fashion retailers. Every day, C&A welcomes millions of visitors to its stores in Europe and to its online shop. C&A offers quality and long-lasting fashion at affordable prices for the many. We are building on more than 180 years of experience in the fashion industry and continuously modernize the company to become an omnichannel fashion retailer.
At C&A we are driven by our values and we believe that affordable and high-quality fashion is not contradictory to caring for people & the planet, we are always forward thinking and acting to develop our business and innovate the industry. This is your chance to join the C&A team as an Outerwear Designer (m/f/d)!
As a Designer you translate market trends and understand how they relate to the assigned product area. The designed styles should be in line with our creative brief to verify that the designs fit into the overall collection and meet financial guidelines. You work with cross‑functional partners in Merchandising and Product Development to build and deliver a proper product assortment geared towards our target consumer.
Your responsibilities
- Translate catwalk and trend information into commercially relevant products / design product in line with our creative strategy and creative brief
- Oversee the fitting process to verify that the clothing fits well and is aligned with the original design
- Conduct research on current and future fashion trends, materials, and techniques
- Collaborate with other members of the design team, such as patternmakers and sample makers, to ensure the collection is produced to the desired standard
- Utilize knowledge of best‑seller and worst‑seller reports to learn from our successes and losses in order to move forward, stay up to date on competitor and market information, and industry trends and new technologies, and incorporate these into the designs
- Create techpacks, instruct Product Developers and Fabric Managers on lab dips, sample yardage, trims, and designs for development
- Create designs that enforce and deliver a clear and cohesive storyline for the collection (based on a clear line plan within the creative brief) / propose a clear fabric package for your specific area
- Stay up to date with fabric and trim developments, create clear and concise product specifications so our proto can already meet our quality standards, follow and meet deadlines set forth in the Consumer Cycle (e2e), and verify all sketches are completed correctly and on time so a (first‑time‑right) proto can be requested, designing product in line with our creative strategy and creative brief
- Be responsible for cascading development information to Product Developers and ensuring all techpack information is communicated well
What you bring
- Degree in Fashion Design or a related field
- At least 3 years of design experience
- Strong understanding of fashion design principles — including silhouette, proportion, and color — and the ability to create original designs aligned with the brand’s aesthetic and vision to deliver the best product for the consumer
- Ability to translate trends into commercial collections with a strong eye for detail
- Solid understanding of fabrics and materials, including their properties, quality, and suitability
- Proficiency in industry‑standard digital tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and experience using them to bring creative concepts to life
- Good understanding of business strategy, product development, and production, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross‑functional teams while always acting with the customer in mind
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to mentor and guide design specialists, combined with a positive, outgoing, highly energetic, and motivational personality
- Strong communication (written and verbal), presentation, and negotiation skills, plus the ability to manage change, strong organizational, problem‑solving, and analytical skills, attention to detail, effective time management, task prioritization, and the ability to enforce execution and encourage these qualities in others
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite
What we offer
This is an opportunity for you to join us on a truly exciting transformation journey, where you’ll be able to leave footprints that last and contribute significantly to our vision. As well as knowing that you played a key part in the evolution of one of Europe’s most recognizable retail brands, you will also enjoy:
- Countless learning and development opportunities via our C&A academy
- Access to a Partner Discount Scheme
- An employee discount of 20% in C&A stores
- 30 days' vacation
- Corporate pension scheme
- Mental health and wellness program
- An exciting job in an international and inspirational working environment
- A positive working atmosphere and a talented team with an open feedback culture
C&A fosters equal opportunity for people of all backgrounds and identities. We are led by a gender-balanced board that is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization where everyone can become their best self.
We do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, parental and family status, or any other protected characteristic. We welcome applications from women, men and non-binary candidates of all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. We encourage people belonging to underrepresented groups to apply.
Even if you don't check every box, but see yourself contributing, please apply and help us build an inclusive community.