Senior Designer

THE POSITION: SENIOR DESIGNER

LOCATION: Battersea, London HQ
HOURS: FREELANCE, MINIMUM 4 DAYS PER WEEK
START: August 2026

ABOUT US:

Aspiga is a leading ethical and sustainable contemporary clothing company creating wearable, stylish and timeless collections for women and men using natural and organic materials. Established in 2006, Aspiga is a responsible fashion brand that continues to lead the way in sustainable and ethical fashion — putting people and our planet first.

Aspiga partners with artisans and suppliers, primarily in Kenya and India, to create stylish clothing collections using natural, organic and sustainable materials. Having started as a wholesale business, Aspiga expanded into the online retail space before opening its first shop in 2019. Since then, we have continued to grow our retail presence alongside our online and wholesale channels.

THE ROLE: SENIOR DESIGNER

We are looking for an experienced, highly creative and commercially minded Senior Designer to take a leading role within the Aspiga Design team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a designer with a strong understanding of contemporary womenswear who is ready to take greater ownership of seasonal collections, from initial concept through to final production.

Working closely with the Design and wider Product teams, the Senior Designer will play a key role in shaping the creative direction of each collection, ensuring that the Aspiga aesthetic remains distinctive, relevant and commercially strong.

You will have responsibility for developing products across multiple categories, leading creative projects, managing product development with suppliers and contributing to the overall seasonal vision.

The role will involve trend and market research, collection planning, print and embroidery development, fabric and trim sourcing, CADs, technical design, fittings, supplier communication, sample development, photoshoots and collection presentations.

You will also help develop and mentor more junior members of the Design team, sharing your knowledge and ensuring a high standard of design execution across the department.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE:

Essential:

Degree in Fashion Design, Womenswear, Textile Design or a related discipline.
4+ years’ experience in a fashion design or product development role, ideally within contemporary womenswear.
Available for a minimum of 4 days per week.
Strong understanding of womenswear garment construction, fit and product development.
Proven experience taking products from initial concept through to final production.
Strong creative and commercial awareness, with an excellent understanding of the Aspiga customer.
Excellent Adobe Creative Suite skills, particularly Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
Strong technical drawing, CAD and specification-writing skills.
Excellent understanding of colour, print, fabric, proportion and garment detailing.
Experience working directly with suppliers and manufacturers, ideally internationally.
Strong understanding of sampling, fittings, approvals and production processes.
Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail.
Excellent communication, leadership and time-management skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines within a fast-paced environment.
Confident using Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

Desirable:

Experience working within a sustainable or ethically focused fashion brand.
Knowledge of sustainable materials and responsible sourcing practices.
Experience developing prints, embroideries and artisanal techniques.
Experience working with suppliers in India, Kenya or other international production markets.
Experience using AI creative tools and an interest in emerging design technologies.
Experience using CLO3D or other digital product development software.
Experience mentoring or managing junior designers.

We're looking for someone who is:

Passionate about beautiful, considered products and contemporary womenswear.
Highly creative with a strong and recognisable eye for colour, print, fabric and proportion.
Commercially aware and able to balance creativity with customer and business needs.
Confident developing and communicating a clear creative vision.
Proactive, curious and constantly looking for new ideas, techniques and inspiration.
Highly organised and able to manage multiple collections and deadlines simultaneously.
A confident communicator who can build strong relationships with suppliers and internal teams.
Collaborative and comfortable working cross-functionally with Design, Buying,
Production, Marketing and E-commerce.
A natural problem solver with a positive, can-do attitude.
Passionate about responsible fashion and considered product development.
Excited by innovation and finding smarter, more efficient ways of working.
Confident in taking ownership and making decisions while knowing when to seek input from the wider team.

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE WILL BE MEASURED BY:

Strong creative direction and contribution to seasonal collections.
Successful development of commercially relevant products that reflect the Aspiga brand handwriting.Accurate and timely completion of CADs, tech packs and technical documentation.
Effective ownership of seasonal sampling and product development timelines.
Strong management of print, embroidery, fabric and trim development.
Effective supplier communication and follow-up.
Consistent delivery of products to the required quality, cost and timeline.
Strong collaboration across Design, Buying, Production and wider teams.
Effective mentoring and development of junior members of the Design team.
Continued development of more efficient and innovative design processes.
Maintaining a high level of creative and technical standards across the collection.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Design & Creative Direction

Take ownership of key areas of the seasonal collection from initial concept through to final production.
Contribute to and help shape the overall creative direction and seasonal design vision.
Research seasonal trends, colour, print, fabric, silhouettes and competitor activity to inspire new collections.
Develop mood boards, colour palettes, range plans and collection presentations.
Design and develop new styles across multiple womenswear categories.
Produce accurate CADs, technical flats and garment illustrations using Adobe Illustrator.
Lead the development of prints, embroideries, trims and other surface embellishments.
Ensure all designs remain aligned with the Aspiga brand handwriting while continuing to evolve the aesthetic.
Present creative concepts and collections confidently to the wider team.
Work closely with Buying and Product teams to ensure the collection balances creativity, customer appeal and commercial opportunity.

Product Development

Own the development of products from initial design through to production approval.
Create detailed tech packs, specifications and product information for suppliers.
Manage and update seasonal sample trackers and critical paths for your areas of responsibility.
Liaise directly with suppliers regarding sampling, approvals, fabrics, trims and product development.
Review and comment on samples, ensuring they accurately reflect the original design intent.
Attend fit sessions, provide clear fit and construction comments and ensure updates are actioned.
Work closely with suppliers to resolve design and technical issues throughout development.
Ensure products are developed to the required quality, cost and timeline.
Monitor development closely and proactively flag any risks or delays.

Fabric, Print, Trim & Sustainable Sourcing

Research and source fabrics, trims and components aligned with the Aspiga aesthetic and sustainability goals.
Lead the development of seasonal colour palettes, lab dips, print strike-offs, embroideries and trims.
Identify new fabrics, techniques and artisanal opportunities to elevate the collection.
Keep up to date with sustainable materials, innovations and responsible sourcing opportunities.
Work closely with suppliers to develop new and exclusive fabrics and surface techniques.
Maintain an organised and relevant fabric, trim and strike-off library.
Support the team in ensuring sustainability remains a key consideration throughout the design process.

Collection Management & Design Operations

Take ownership of seasonal range boards, ensuring they are accurate, commercially considered and up to date.
Manage the sample archive and seasonal collection rails for your areas.
Ensure design files, CADs, tech packs and development information are organised and accessible.
Prepare materials for collection reviews, buying meetings and presentations.
Support campaign photoshoots, content creation and wholesale preparations where required.
Work closely with the wider team to ensure products are delivered efficiently and accurately from design through to launch.

Team Leadership & Development

Provide guidance and support to the design team.
Share knowledge and best practice across design and product development.
Help establish and maintain efficient design processes and ways of working.
Lead by example, maintaining a high standard of creative, technical and organisational output.

Digital & Creative Innovation

Explore and implement new creative tools and technologies that can improve the design process.
Develop AI-generated visuals and presentation imagery where appropriate.
Stay informed on emerging digital design tools and industry developments.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising creative quality.
Maintain organised digital design files and seasonal documentation.

ASPIGA PACKAGE

Salary is competitively benchmarked and will depend on experience.
30 days holiday inclusive of Bank Holidays, plus up to 3 additional days for tenure.
Contributory pension & Cycle to Work scheme.
Purpose-led perks including beach cleans, volunteer days and B Corp community initiatives.
Generous discounts on Aspiga products.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are an experienced womenswear designer who is passionate about creative product, responsible fashion and developing beautiful, commercially relevant collections, we would love to hear from you.

Please apply with your CV and relevant portfolio to hr@aspiga.com.

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