Apparel Designer - Fashion

Apparel Designer (Fashion)

Fanatics Commerce is the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, operating a vertically integrated platform that designs, manufactures, and delivers officially licensed apparel, jerseys, headwear, and collectibles for major leagues, teams, and events worldwide. With more than 900 e-commerce sites and a global omnichannel presence across digital, in-venue, and retail, Fanatics Commerce reaches fans in over 180 countries and powers official fan experiences for many of the world's most iconic sports properties.

At Fanatics, we bring our BOLD Leadership Principles to life every day—building championship teams, obsessing over fans, acting with limitless entrepreneurial spirit, and delivering with a determined and relentless mindset.

As we continue to scale our global platform, the Apparel Designer (Fashion) will play a critical role in translating global sports licenses like MLS into compelling lifestyle apparel collections for adults and kids.

ROLE OVERVIEW

We are seeking a highly creative and experienced Apparel Designer (Fashion) with 5+ years of industry experience to design and develop apparel collections for both adults and kids, leveraging global sports licenses such as MLS to translate sports culture into lifestyle fashion. The ideal candidate combines a strong eye for global trends with deep commercial awareness, thriving in a collaborative, fast-paced environment working across global teams and license partners. The Apparel Designer (Fashion) delivers business and fan impact through BOLD leadership and execution excellence, leveraging data, automation, and AI-enabled insights.

HOW WILL YOU DRIVE IMPACT

Success is measured by the ability to deliver results through BOLD capabilities and measurable outcomes.

Team & Leadership Impact (Build Championship Teams)

• Partner cross-functionally with global headquarters, license partners, vendors, production teams, and merchandising teams to align on brand guidelines and deliver commercially viable collections.
• Serve as a collaborative design resource across adult and kids' categories, sharing trend insights and design direction to elevate the broader team's output.
• Build productive relationships with overseas partners and vendors, ensuring clear communication and seamless coordination throughout the product development lifecycle.

Fan & Customer Impact (Obsessed with Fans)

• Design adult and kids' apparel collections leveraging global sports licenses — including MLS — that resonate with fans and consumers across athleisure, casualwear, and capsule formats.
• Translate sports culture into lifestyle fashion, ensuring every design decision reflects the aesthetic sensibilities and emotional connection fans have with their teams and leagues.
• Develop differentiated kids' apparel designs that incorporate age-appropriate functionality and safety considerations alongside compelling fan-first aesthetics.
• Research and select fabrics, materials, colors, and graphics aligned with current global trends and sports/lifestyle aesthetics to maximize consumer appeal.

Innovation & Problem Solving (Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit)

• Develop seasonal concepts, mood boards, and design directions that push creative boundaries while remaining grounded in commercial viability and licensee requirements.
• Identify emerging global fashion and sports culture trends, proactively incorporating relevant influences into collection development before they peak in the market.
• Explore new materials, construction techniques, and graphic approaches to differentiate the product offering within the licensed sports apparel landscape.
• Apply creative problem-solving to navigate constraints across licensing, production, and cost parameters without compromising design quality.

Ownership & Execution (Determined & Relentless Mindset)

• Manage the end-to-end product development process, including sampling, revisions, and production coordination, with a high degree of ownership and accountability.
• Maintain rigorous attention to detail across all stages of design development to ensure final products meet brand, quality, and compliance standards.
• Deliver design work on time within seasonal calendar deadlines, balancing multiple collections and workstreams simultaneously.
• Proactively communicate progress, risks, and decisions to internal stakeholders and external partners to keep development timelines on track.

AI & DIGITAL CAPABILITY

We are building a future-ready organization. This role is expected to:

• Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
• Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
• Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
• Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement

CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE YOU BRING

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of experience as a fashion designer, with a preference for backgrounds in sports, casualwear, or kids' apparel.
• Demonstrated ability to design apparel collections leveraging sports or entertainment licenses, with an understanding of how to balance licensor guidelines with creative direction.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and other industry-standard design tools, with the ability to produce professional technical flats and presentation materials.
• Strong knowledge of global fashion trends and sports/lifestyle aesthetics, with the ability to translate cultural insights into commercially relevant product.
• Solid understanding of textiles, fabrics, sewing techniques, and production processes, including experience navigating sampling and revision cycles.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience working across global or cross-cultural teams and overseas vendor or partner relationships as a plus.
• English or Japanese communication ability preferred.

Education:

Bachelor's degree or higher in Fashion Design or a related field required.

WORK LOCATION

Hybrid: The primary place of performance of this role is the Company's office located in Seoul Korea, subject to the Company's current hybrid work policy. This role currently requires in-office presence 3 days per week.