Associate Designer, Cut Ups & Special Projects
Michael Kors — Associate Designer, Cut Ups & Special Projects in New York Metro Area. End-to-end accessories design role, $55,000–$90,000.
Overview
Michael Kors is a globally recognized luxury lifestyle brand known for modern American sportswear, accessories and leather goods. Operating within Capri Holdings, the label blends commercial sensibility with design-led creativity and sustains an international design, product and retail organization that emphasizes craftsmanship, seasonal innovation and cross-functional collaboration.
Role & Responsibilities
- Translate the Michael Kors aesthetic into cut-up and special-project accessories, ensuring design fidelity and commercial appropriateness.
- Collaborate closely with the VP on seasonal concept development and creation of design concepts across multiple channels.
- Ensure product suitability for each channel—balancing design, cost and function—and prevent internal assortment overlap.
- Partner with Handbag and Small Leather Goods (SLG) Design teams to align cut-ups with overall direction and detailing.
- Manage the end-to-end product design process: market research, sketching, specing, prototyping and functional validation.
- Oversee products from concept through production, communicating technical changes and quality expectations to factories.
- Maintain a seasonal library of cut-up and special-product offerings, master specs and design standards.
- Collaborate with Merchandising and Technical Design to finalize seasonal line plans for the Cutup channel.
- Research global markets to identify trends, materials and novel techniques applicable to future collections.
Qualifications
- 2–4 years of professional experience in accessories design.
- Ability to work on-site in the New York City office / NY Metro Area.
- Proven experience communicating development and technical requirements with factories.
- Strong technical design skills with experience producing accurate specs and technical packs.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and competing calendar deadlines.
- Capacity to set a creative tone and generate new concepts; strong line-building capability.
Skills
Experience
2–4 years of accessories design experience, including participation in seasonal design cycles, line development and direct liaison with manufacturing partners from development through production.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Accessories Design, Industrial Design or equivalent professional experience.
Culture
The brand fosters a fast-paced, design-driven environment where creativity and commercial discipline coexist. Teams operate collaboratively across design, merchandising and technical functions, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, global market awareness and seasonal innovation.