Design Assistant, Women's Collection

Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview
Support the Women's Collection Wovens Design team with daily tasks and participating in all phases of the design development process from initial concept to final garment production: initial concept research, sketching, and administrative needs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

* Maintain and own the virtual & physical fit archive of Collection for Design
* Manage and organize physical protos for design meetings and handoffs between NY & Italy Teams. Conduct additional proto research from the RL library
* Support the Handoff and Italy Fitting process through written & visual communication
* Communicate between PD & Design teams for constant design, spec, and RL updates
* Maintain the embroidery archive and organize seasonal swatches virtually and physically for design teams to reference.
* Liaise with Italian Embellishment Teams for seasonal embellishment design.
* Conduct thorough seasonal market research across all woven product categories and organize design ideas effectively.
* Assist with building and maintaining the Fabric To Sketch boards after each RL meeting and during the fabricating process.
* Sketch in Illustrator/Photoshop & Hand Drawing flat garment sketches and assist with CAD print layouts from design proposal stage through production.
* Understand the RL brand aesthetic by learning the Collection Archive, Runway Show Names and Icon styles
* Support the Wovens Design Team where needed during the seasonal Looks Design process with Senior Leaders and RL.
* Assist with additional administrative needs throughout the design process

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

* Advanced in Adobe Suite Programs (Photoshop & Illustrator Required): Adobe XD is preferred but not a must
* Fashion design experience preferred
* Ability to hand draw & create digital flat sketches
* Basic understanding of garment construction
* Airtable experience is a plus
* Strong ability to work in a fast paced environment with frequent changes
* Self-Motivated & Organized
* Eager and willing to learn
* Strong Communication skills between cross-functional teams
* Team player with strong interpersonal skills
* Ability to pre-empt and stay proactive with Senior Leaders needs and requests
* Works with a sense of urgency without compromising the execution of a task
* Meticulous design eye with attention to detail
* Strong interest in design with a desire and passion to work for the RL Brand
* Ability to take direction and criticism