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Product Designer - Hosiery & Accessories

Implus Durham, NC

Durham, NC

Today

Full time Adobe Creative Suite Adobe Illustrator Apparel

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Job Description

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

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