Assistant Designer - Footwear and Bags

Kurt Geiger | About Us

We are an inclusive, creative footwear and accessories brand powered by kindness. We want to empower our talent to be confident and true to themselves, the London way. London is our home, our heartbeat, and we draw inspiration from the energy and spirit of the city; its diversity and creativity. For over fifty years our team of in-house shoe and accessory designers have been creating authentic, distinctive designs from our London headquarters. The rainbow is our signature. It represents the good energy and love we have for our community and the many ways we collectively express our individual style.

We’re looking for a creative and skilled Assistant Designer to join our Off-Price Women’s Footwear & Bags Design team. This is an exciting and rare opportunity to gain valuable experience across multiple product categories, within a fast-growing department. You will become a key part of a small, collaborative team, playing a hands-on role in developing design-led, fashion-forward collections that are customer-focused and aligned with our brand strategy.

In this role, you’ll support the design and development of a variety of women’s footwear and bag styles. A genuine passion for handbags, leather goods and product design is essential. You’ll research trends, shapes, materials, and trims, bringing your original ideas to life through sketches and technical drawings. You’ll finalise approved designs for production and work closely with suppliers and the buying team to ensure every product meets our standards for fit, quality, and brand identity.

Strong CAD skills, an eye for detail, and a clear understanding of current trends are essential. If you’re passionate about footwear and bags and excited to contribute to dynamic, market-relevant collections, we’d love to hear from you.

Requirements

• Support and work with Senior Designers on projects and daily tasks
• Research trends, materials, trims, and colour, allowing you to contribute to developing new products incorporating your original ideas
• Support in the development of customer and market-focused product collections each season in line with company strategy and brand identity
• Identify opportunities for new shapes and products to enhance the existing range
• Create detailed specifications and technical drawings, and colour CADs, for new product developments and sample modifications
• Manage seasonal samples and development trackers, ensuring products progress efficiently through the design process.
• Work closely with the Buying team to ensure production details meet the brand’s quality requirements
• Work closely with the Buying team to finalise aesthetics of approved designs for production
• Deliver high-quality work while managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Prepare samples for internal design reviews and manage the seasonal sample library.

The Person

• Previous experience working within a bag or footwear design environment
• Creative flair with a passion for leather goods and a strong eye for product
• Experience with using Adobe Creative Suite (Specially but not exclusively Adobe Illustrator) and Microsoft Office
• Motivated, proactive, and eager to learn
• Organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Keen eye for current and upcoming trends with a strong focus on commerciality
• Ability to interpret trends through the lens of the brand, incorporating existing house codes and evolving iconic styles
• A practical knowledge of creating specs and experience using Adobe Illustrator
• Able to work independently while contributing effectively within a team
• Positive attitude with strong relationship-building and communication skills
• Open-minded and receptive to feedback, flexible with the ability to adapt when direction shifts
• Excellent attention to detail

Benefits

• Competitive basic salary
• Pension and life assurance
• Enviable discounts
• Gym Discounts
• Summer Hours - 2pm Friday Finish
• Half Day, Pay Day Friday (once per month)
• RetailTrust support
• And so much more!

Our Culture

We’re an energic fast-paced brand that embraces progress and strives for innovation. Hard work is rewarded with new opportunities at every level and kindness is celebrated in everything we do. Our summer working hours accommodate a healthy work life balance. Wellbeing is important to our working culture, which is why we nurture a friendly environment for talent to thrive in, alongside a vibrant social community.

Our Stores

The first Kurt Geiger store opened on London Bond street in 1963. Today, our brand has global appeal and is distributed in hundreds of cities around the world. We operate over 70 stand-alone stores nationwide, including our new flagship store on London Oxford street, and in over 400 stores globally. Beyond stand-alone stores and retail pop ups, our retail partners include some of the world’s most famous department stores.

We Are One: For Love | For Diversity | For Change | For Equality | For Kindness | For Freedom | For Unity Against Racism