Product Designer - Hosiery & Accessories

Implus is building products for the Everyday Hosiery team, bringing sport, performance, and fashion together through material science, color, style, and knit technology. As a highly experienced individual contributor, you will manage product design requests from seasonal concept through final sample approval, with a focus on socks and additional accessories across owned brands and private label programs.

This hybrid role is based in Durham, NC and supports a category range that includes socks, slippers, cold weather/outerwear, and hair and beauty accessories. With 4+ years of professional experience, you will translate market insight and trend direction into commercially viable assortments while partnering closely with Product Development, global vendors, Merchandising, and Sales.

What you’ll do

• Lead regular global market research using digital, in-store, and trend services to assess competitive strengths and weaknesses and uncover white-space opportunities.
• Turn macro fashion, lifestyle, and athletic trends into actionable sock and accessory strategies aligned with private label and branded DNA.
• Translate seasonal and long-range product strategies into creative assortments that support goals in the product roadmap.
• Review and analyze market performance data, including sell-in and sell-out, to inform future design ideation and improve product styling.
• Conduct market analyses to understand how competitive landscapes segment across different retail channels.
• Create precise, high-quality CAD designs, stitch structures, artwork layouts, and graphing using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Creative Cloud programs.
• Convert 1D design concepts into clear 3D execution visions, supporting visual flow, color balance, and spatial harmony.
• Build design presentations, mood boards, and seasonal trend decks for internal milestones and retailer presentations.
• Maintain strong quality control by thoroughly proofing and checking CAD work and design packages for format, formulas, and technical accuracy.
• Contribute to brainstorming sessions with a commercial fashion perspective to guide product direction.
• Apply advanced hosiery and knit construction knowledge, including stitch structures, needle counts, and performance/lifestyle yarn characteristics.
• Partner with Product Development and global vendors to ensure physical samples match original CAD designs, including participation in prototype evaluations and critiques.
• Execute construction details aligned with target retailer margin goals and cost structures.
• Prepare comprehensive product development packages and maintain proactive communication with PD and Merchandising to resolve production or costing issues.
• Manage the color process for assigned categories using Pantone standardizations and digital color approvals to maintain consistency.
• Maintain and organize core design resources, including digital design archives, the Color and Yarn Standard Library, and physical market/yarn samples.
• Communicate transparently with stakeholders on project priorities, workload, and GTM calendar deadlines; participate in meetings with detailed note-taking and follow-up.
• Build collaborative relationships across Merchandising, PD, Sales, and Commercial, advocating for design excellence throughout the lifecycle.
• Execute seasonal concept-to-sample-approval design work across a broad, diverse category range, with socks as a primary focus.

What you bring

• Experience: 4+ years of professional experience in apparel, knitwear, activewear, or accessories design, with a proven track record in socks, accessories, and/or performance knits.
• Highly preferred: experience designing for mass-market retailers and/or developing private label programs.
• Detail and style: meticulous, detail-oriented approach to product styling, performance, and commercial fashion trends.
• Project management: ability to plan, prioritize, and meet tight deadlines while balancing multiple projects in a fast-paced calendar.
• Commercial problem solving: capability to respond to design and production challenges with innovative, cost-effective solutions.
• Global perspective: holistic understanding of regional retail needs, global market trends, and hosiery production processes.
• Adaptability: flexible mindset that supports constructive feedback and quick pivoting to shifting market needs.
• Software and technical CAD: advanced to expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (especially Illustrator) with specific experience creating detailed technical CADs, stitch structures, artwork layouts, and graphing.
• Trend tools and analytics: experience using consumer trend-forecasting platforms such as WGSN and interpreting retail market analytics.
• Communication and collaboration: strong history presenting creative concepts in team settings and retailer meetings, and working closely with cross-functional partners.
• Portfolio: professional portfolio demonstrating advanced technical CAD work, cohesive color/trend ideation, structural knitwear understanding, and commercialized product collections.
• Education: a Bachelor’s degree in Apparel/Textile Design, Industrial Design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and industry experience.
• Practical requirements: ability to observe fine product details, colors, stitch structures, and physical samples/color standards up close; ability to communicate design concepts and technical instructions to co-workers, vendors, and cross-functional teams; frequent use of MAC systems, keyboards, and digital monitors.
• Workplace presence: remain in a stationary design position 50–75% of the time; frequently move around the office to access sample archives and collaborate.
• Physical demand: occasional movement/transport of product sample or trend material boxes up to 25 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Environment and travel: standard climate-controlled office environment with occasional exposure to open-air or warehouse settings during sample reviews; may require occasional domestic or international travel for retailer meetings, trend shopping, or factory visits.
• Schedule model: hybrid with fluctuating in-office days based on GTM milestones, retail meetings, and business needs; predictable attendance on site.

Tools and technologies

• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Pantone
• WGSN
• MAC systems
• Keyboards
• Digital monitors