Sponsored Story
About Kinnik
Kinnik makes considered essentials for life spent out in the world.
We’re building a brand at the intersection of performance apparel, fashion and outdoor culture: clothing designed to function outside without looking like conventional outdoor gear, and that inspires people to live colorfully.
Our references include Salomon, ROA, Satisfy and And Wander, but we want to push beyond them into something distinctly Kinnik: more playful, colorful, unexpected and culturally curious.
Technical performance matters. But so does looking great.
We’re looking for a Founding Fashion Designer to help define what that looks like.
The Role
You’ll work directly with the founder to design Kinnik’s initial apparel collections from concept through final design.
This is a creative fashion design role, not a technical product-development role. You will own the full creative side of the garment, from silhouette and color to visual language and collection cohesion.
A separate Product Developer / Technical Designer will translate your designs into technical specifications, patterns, construction and production-ready garments. You’ll work closely with them throughout development to make sure the final product preserves the original design intent.
You’ll also collaborate with our China-based sourcing partner on fabrics, trims and material development.
What You’ll Do
- Design Kinnik’s summer collection. You’ll own each garment end to end, from first concept through sketches, flats, colorways and final design.
- Create Kinnik’s design language. You’ll define the silhouettes, proportions, colors, materials and details that make Kinnik recognizable. The goal is for someone to recognize a Kinnik garment before they see the logo.
- Shape how technical and fashion elements work together. Hardware, pockets, layering and functional details should be design features with personality, not afterthoughts.
- Protect the vision through development. You’ll review samples and fittings with the Product Developer so the finished garment still feels like what we set out to make.
Our References
- Salomon: technical credibility + contemporary culture
- ROA: fashion + mountain utility
- Satisfy: performance + attitude
- and wander: technical function + fashion + color
We’re interested in the space between outdoor equipment and contemporary fashion. You should understand performance apparel enough to design intelligently within that world, while bringing a distinctly fashion-oriented point of view.
Who We’re Looking For
We are open to years of experience for the right fit. You might be:
- A recent graduate with an exceptional portfolio and unusually strong taste
- A fashion designer from a performance or outdoor brand
- A sportswear designer with a strong fashion point of view
- A fashion designer who has moved into technical apparel
- A designer working independently across fashion and performance
We’re open to different backgrounds. Portfolio > pedigree. We care much more about whether you have a distinctive point of view than whether you’ve worked at a famous brand.
You Should Have
Must have:
- Strong fashion design portfolio
- Strong understanding of color and material
- Ability to develop original garment concepts
- Understanding of contemporary fashion and sportswear
- Ability to collaborate with technical/product-development teams
- Strong interest in outdoor culture and performance apparel
- Experience working with performance textiles
Especially valuable:
- Experience at a performance, outdoor or sportswear brand
- Technical apparel experience
- Outdoor / hiking / trail running / climbing / cycling experience
- Strong knowledge of contemporary fashion
- Technical design knowledge
- Experience working with Asian manufacturers
You don’t need to be an expert in all of these. We’re primarily looking for taste, originality and a strong design point of view.
Engagement
- Project fee: Starting at $6000 for the capsule (4 styles, 2 colourways each). Fee is flexible depending on experience & fit.
- Includes:
- Moodboard & Design Language – 2 concept directions
- Capsule design (4 styles – 3 apparel, 1 accessory, 2 colorways each)
- Collaboration with technical product developer to get design ready for production
- 2 sample review
- Timeline: ASAP – with all deliverables completed at end of November. Sample review will be in December/January.
- Opportunity to convert full time.
If you are interested:
Please email careers@wearkinnik.com with:
Please include:
- Portfolio showing garment design (finished if possible), and technical/performance work if applicable.
- Short introduction & CV
- Availability
- Project rate