Studio Ellis Ltd | London | Full-time, Permanent | Studio Based
Studio Ellis is a growing British fashion house and home to Ellis Bridals, KR by Studio Ellis, John Charles and Maisonel.
As we continue to grow our brands in the UK and internationally, we are looking for an experienced Product Development Manager to join our London studio and play a key role in the development of our bridal and occasion-wear collections.
This is an opportunity to join an independent fashion business where you will have genuine ownership, work closely with our Head of Design and senior team, and have a direct impact on how our collections are developed and delivered.
This is a hands-on product development position, not a design role.
The Role
You will help drive the product development process across our four brands, taking collections from design handover through sampling, fittings and development to production approval.
You will combine strong technical garment knowledge with excellent organisation, commercial awareness and confident factory management.
Key responsibilities include:
- Managing development critical paths, samples and deadlines across multiple collections
- Coordinating product development from design handover through to production approval
- Working directly with overseas factories and suppliers
- Managing sample ordering, tracking and development follow-up
- Preparing for fittings and ensuring actions are followed through accurately and efficiently
- Managing product costings and target prices
- Reviewing salesman samples and pre-production samples against approved specifications
- Identifying and resolving construction, fit, quality and development issues
- Maintaining accurate development calendars, trackers and product information
- Managing pre-production checks and ensuring a clear handover into production
- Working closely with and supporting our Production Coordinator
- Acting as a key escalation point for product development and production issues
- Producing and supporting CADs, technical packs, specifications and detailed sample comments when required
- Helping continually improve product development processes across Studio Ellis
The combination of development ownership, costing, factory follow-up, production handover and the ability to provide technical cover reflects the role required in the team structure.
Studio Ellis Design Team Master Brief.pdf
About You
We are looking for someone with substantial hands-on product development or garment technology experience within womenswear.
You should be able to demonstrate:
- Strong knowledge of garment construction, fit and finishing
- Experience personally developing garments from initial design through to production
- Strong fitting and technical problem-solving ability
- Confidence creating and interpreting CADs, technical packs, specifications and detailed sample comments
- Experience working directly with overseas factories and suppliers
- Experience with product costing and target pricing
- Strong critical-path and sample-management skills
- Excellent organisation and attention to detail
- Confidence taking ownership, making decisions and driving development forward
- The ability to manage multiple collections and deadlines simultaneously
- A collaborative, practical and solutions-focused approach
Experience within premium or luxury womenswear, bridal, occasionwear or eveningwear is highly desirable, particularly experience with structured garments, corsetry, lace, embellishment and specialist finishing. These are directly relevant to the construction standards across the Studio Ellis collections.
Studio Ellis Design Team Master Brief.pdf
Who This Role Will Suit
You may currently be working as a Product Development Manager, Senior Product Developer, Senior Garment Technologist or Technical Product Developer and be looking for greater ownership and visibility within a growing independent fashion business.
You should enjoy being hands-on and be as comfortable in a fitting and discussing garment construction as you are managing a costing, challenging a factory or keeping a development calendar on track.
If your experience is predominantly fashion design without substantial hands-on technical product development and factory experience, this is unlikely to be the right position.
About Studio Ellis
Studio Ellis brings together four distinctive British fashion brands spanning heritage bridal, contemporary bridal, premium occasionwear and contemporary luxury eventwear.
Our collections are sold internationally across the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and we work closely with manufacturing partners in India and China.
Studio Ellis Design Team Master Brief.pdf
This is an opportunity to become an important part of a growing independent fashion house, with real responsibility and the ability to influence how the product development function evolves as the business grows.
Location: London
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Working pattern: Studio based
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