Assistant Concept Designer

About Us

vineyard vines is a highly successful, privately held, American clothing and accessory retailer founded in 1998 on Martha’s Vineyard by brothers, Shep & Ian Murray. With Shep & Ian still at the helm today, vineyard vines has experienced exponential year over year growth and now operates over 120 retail locations including an outlet division, a successful e-commerce business, domestic distribution center, and expanding corporate headquarters. In addition, vineyard vines is carried in major department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdales as well as numerous specialty boutiques across the US.

vineyard vines was founded on a state of mind that Every day should feel this good.

You don’t need to be on a beach, by the ocean or on vacation to have Every day should feel this good moments. It’s a state of mind that we all experience, and one where everyone is invited. At vineyard vines, we don’t just live an #EDSFTG life away from our desks—we bring it to work with us, too.

In our stores, at our Harbor Drive headquarters or working remotely, our company culture is fun, encouraging and welcoming to all. We work hard and play harder, and we never take ourselves too seriously. And while we have many company goals, our number one priority is making vineyard vines a great place to work for all employees.

Our team is our family, and we’d never have grown to where we are today without them.

We’re committed to building an inclusive team across all channels, departments and stores within our community. We hope you’ll join us and see what the smiling pink whale is all about.

Overview

The Assistant Concept Designer supports the development of seasonal creative direction through trend research, visual storytelling, and concept execution. The Assistant Concept Designer helps translate emerging ideas into meaningful product and marketing narratives. This role helps translate global insights and cultural trends into compelling mood boards, AI-generated imagery, and storytelling assets that inspire product and marketing teams. They maintain critical organizational systems with concept samples, maintaining digital archives, and preparing polished presentations for cross-functional collaboration.

This position is ideal for a highly creative, curious, and detail-oriented individual who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and has a deep passion for storytelling, innovation, and the vineyard vines lifestyle.

Key Responsibilities

Seasonal & Competitive Research

• Conduct overarching seasonal research, including location-based insights, RGP (Real Good People) influences, mood imagery, print/pattern direction, marketing concepts, and storytelling ideas aligned with the customer and product vision.
• Perform extensive competitive and market research focused on specific brands, gender segments, and consumer trends to enhance the brand's product and customer experience.
• Identify meaningful innovations in silhouettes, fabrications, color direction, marketing approaches, and experiential shopping strategies.
• Track and synthesize global and macro cultural shifts, producing a biannual zeitgeist calendar highlighting events, social movements, and cultural touchpoints relevant to our brand and audience.

Concept Development & Execution

• Create and curate mood boards and storyboards using Adobe Suite and AI-based tools (e.g., Midjourney, Canva, DALL·E) to bring seasonal narratives to life.
• Assist in generating original imagery and concept renderings using Photoshop and generative AI to support design and marketing storytelling.
• Help design and assemble seasonal concept rigs, including visual displays, mood boards, and marketing boards, and contribute to set-up and styling for internal presentations.
• Support the translation of trend and research insights into compelling seasonal themes that inform product design and marketing content.

Sample Closet & Material Organization

• Maintain and oversee the Concept Sample Closet, tracking props and samples, managing check-in/out logs, and ensuring ongoing organization and availability for use.
• Assist in the sourcing, organization, and archiving of fabric swatches, trims, and inspirational samples for seasonal development and creative exploration.

Presentation & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Assist in creating polished internal decks, visual briefs, and presentation materials for concept reviews and cross-functional meetings.
• Collaborate closely with senior concept designers, merchandising, product development, and marketing teams to ensure cohesive seasonal execution.
• Support the coordination and preparation of digital and physical assets needed for concept walkthroughs and strategy sessions.

Technical & Administrative Support

• Create technical flat sketches and help prepare design specification packages when needed for product development collaboration.
• Manage calendars and milestone tracking for concept deadlines, ensuring deliverables are met on time.
• Organize digital libraries, trend reports, and concept archives for easy access and historical reference.

What You Bring

• Keen eye for color, trend, detail, storytelling, and product construction.
• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, or a related field preferred.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign); bonus if experienced with 3D design tools or AI imagery platforms (e.g., Midjourney, DALL·E).
• Strong working knowledge of digital trend tools and platforms (e.g., ChatGPT, Pinterest, Canva, Instagram, TikTok).
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; ability to articulate and present design ideas to diverse teams.
• High taste level, Creative Thinkers, Strong problem solving skills, The ability to take initiative and to prioritize work task
• Passion for the vineyard vines lifestyle and staying current with global design trends, youth culture, and innovation in visual storytelling.

Every-day Will Feel This Good Because

• We have a fun-spirited entrepreneurial culture filled with truly "good" people
• We offer a generous employee discount so you can rep our lifestyle on-and-off the boat
• We offer a competitive salary package, 401-K, commuter benefits, and paid-family leave, health savings, flex spending accounts, life & disability insurance
• We have an onsite gym as well as health & financial wellness programs to keep you active
• We offer 2 summer Fridays to take off in addition to a competitive vacation policy & holiday calendar