Design Director - Women’s Swimwear

Job Title: Design Director - Women’s Swimwear

A high-profile designer brand is seeking a Design Director to lead its women’s swimwear category. This highly visible leadership role will define the creative vision for the collection and translate the brand’s design codes into compelling, commercially relevant product.

Reporting directly to the President, the Design Director will manage two direct reports and collaborate extensively with cross-functional partners and senior leadership. The ideal candidate combines exceptional creative taste, deep swimwear expertise, and the executive presence needed to influence decisions at the highest levels of the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the seasonal creative direction for women’s swimwear.
• Develop collections that balance brand identity, innovation, quality, and commercial opportunity.
• Guide the design process from initial concept and research through final product execution.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of two direct reports.
• Partner closely with merchandising, product development, technical design, sourcing, production, and marketing.
• Present concepts, seasonal direction, and product recommendations to the President and senior leadership.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the competitive landscape, consumer behavior, runway trends, materials, color, and emerging swimwear innovation.
• Ensure consistency across silhouette, fit, fabrication, print, color, and detailing.
• Manage multiple seasonal priorities while maintaining a high standard of creative and operational execution.

Candidate Profile

• Significant design leadership experience within women’s swimwear, designer fashion, or a closely related category.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating elevated taste, distinctive creative direction, and commercially successful product.
• Proven ability to lead a category and guide collections from concept through production.
• Experience managing and developing design talent.
• Highly collaborative, with a track record of building productive cross-functional relationships.
• Exceptional executive function, including strong judgment, organization, communication, and follow-through.
• Confident presenting to and influencing presidents, founders, and other senior executives.
• Deep knowledge of swimwear construction, fit, fabrication, print, color, and technical requirements.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-visibility designer environment.

Salary $200,000