Buyer, Designer Ready to Wear
15 hours ago
Culver City
Position Objectives • Curate a highly differentiated ready-to-wear assortment that resonates with a discerning luxury client while driving relevance, desirability, and commercial performance., • Shape and evolve the category vision through a balanced mix of established designer brands, emerging talent, and directional market opportunities that reinforce the brand’s point of view., • Cultivate strategic partnerships with key fashion houses and industry relationships to secure exclusives, maximize brand positioning, and drive long-term growth., • Lead the business with a data-informed and customer-centric approach to inventory, open-to-buy, and assortment planning, ensuring strong profitability, healthy sell-through, and optimized return on investment., • Drive cross-functional collaboration across merchandising, planning, ecommerce, marketing, and retail teams to deliver a cohesive and elevated client experience across all channels., • Monitor market trends, competitive landscape, and client behavior to proactively identify opportunities and maintain leadership within the luxury fashion space., • Travel to key domestic and international fashion markets, including New York, Milan, and Paris, approximately four times annually, to identify emerging trends, strengthen vendor relationships, and source new business opportunities., • Maintain an active presence at the Culver City office for 3 days per week to support cross-functional collaboration, team leadership, and business operations. Key Areas of Responsibility • Assortment Strategy & Merchandising, • Curate a compelling, market-aware assortment that reflects the brand’s point of view while aligning with client demand, regional nuances, and category growth opportunities., • Drive strategic assortment planning across seasonal buys, identifying opportunities within established brands, emerging designers, and new business categories., • Analyze sales performance, client behavior, and inventory productivity to make informed decisions around reorders, transfers, markdowns, and exit strategies., • Partner closely with Planning to manage open-to-buy, seasonal budgets, inventory flow, and profitability targets., • Ensure assortments are balanced across trend, novelty, and core business while supporting broader merchandising narratives and brand initiatives., • Develop and execute strategic liquidation and markdown strategies focused on maximizing sell-through and margin performance., • Brand Partnerships & Vendor Management, • Build and maintain strong relationships with key designer partners, showrooms, and emerging brands to support long-term business growth and brand differentiation., • Negotiate assortments, exclusives, distribution strategy, pricing, delivery cadence, and payment terms to optimize business performance and competitive positioning., • Continuously evaluate vendor performance through sell-through analysis, inventory productivity, operational execution, and client response., • Identify and onboard new brands and business opportunities that align with the evolving customer and company vision., • Leadership & Team Development, • Lead, mentor, and develop Assistant and Associate Buyers, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and entrepreneurial team culture., • Provide clear direction, consistent feedback, and growth opportunities while promoting accountability, ownership, and strong business acumen., • Support team development through market exposure, strategic coaching, and ongoing skill-building across merchandising, analysis, and relationship management., • Cross-Functional Partnership, • Partner cross-functionally with Planning, Retail, E-commerce, Marketing, Operations, and Visual teams to ensure alignment across assortment strategy and client experience., • Collaborate with retail leadership to understand regional opportunities, client feedback, and store-specific needs that inform buying decisions., • Leverage customer insights, business analytics, and market intelligence to continuously refine assortments and identify growth opportunities., • Trend Forecasting & Market Intelligence, • Maintain a strong awareness of the competitive landscape, luxury market trends, and emerging consumer behavior to inform category strategy., • Attend domestic and international markets to identify new brands, product opportunities, and directional trends relevant to the business., • Continuously evolve the assortment to ensure it remains relevant, differentiated, and aligned with the brand’s fashion authority and customer expectations. Required Skills • Minimum 5 years of multi-brand buying experience, preferably within the luxury or designer fashion space, • Prior experience managing and developing direct reports, with the ability to provide mentorship, feedback, and day-to-day leadership within a collaborative team environment., • Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to interpret sales, inventory, and market data to drive strategic business decisions and category performance., • Proven ability to manage a business with a strong commercial mindset, balancing fashion authority, customer relevance, and profitability objectives., • Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management skills, with the ability to effectively influence cross-functional partners, vendors, and senior leadership., • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and operate with urgency in a fast-paced environment., • Resourceful, solutions-oriented team player with strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities., • Self-starter with a proactive approach, strong ownership mentality, and ability to work independently while driving results., • Strong understanding of market trends, emerging designers, and evolving consumer behavior within the luxury fashion industry., • Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with brands, showrooms, and external partners., • Advanced computer skills required, including advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint. We Offer • Health Insurance & Wellness Benefits Package, • Retirement Benefits Package, • Benefits & Perks, including PTO & Employee Discount