Balenciaga Head of Couture Product Development

About Balenciaga

Balenciaga is a Paris-based fashion maison renowned for avant‑garde couture and contemporary design. Operating within the Kering group, the brand combines artisanal savoir‑faire with an emphasis on innovation in materials and construction, maintaining a strong presence in haute couture, womenswear, menswear and accessories.

Role & Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end development of the women’s and men’s couture collection across all product categories, ensuring coherence with the artistic direction.
• Consolidate and maintain a comprehensive overview of all ongoing developments to track collection progress and critical milestones.
• Verify product data and nomenclatures in the PLM system and ensure data integrity throughout development phases.
• Provide technical and organisational support to Product Managers on collection developments and act as the primary escalation point for blocked or complex projects.
• Manage specific and high-priority developments from prototype to final delivery, including oversight of sampling and quality checkpoints.
• Coordinate workload and production planning with external ateliers (façonniers) and maintain regular site visits to the supplier base.
• Liaise with the embroidery and fabric teams to monitor development timelines versus the master schedule and to track incoming deliveries and consolidated fabric orders.
• Control and monitor development budgets from concept through delivery, including regular consolidation after monthly Artistic Direction reviews.
• Prepare regular quantitative reporting for the Couture Director (e.g., number of active developments, prototypes launched, in‑house vs external split).
• Calculate and track selling prices during collection presentations in collaboration with Product Managers.
• Serve as the salon teams' principal contact for client inquiries regarding couture products.
• Scout, evaluate and expand the atelier network to broaden the maison’s manufacturing capabilities.
• Organise and support monthly sessions with the Artistic Direction and coordinate internal teams for these reviews.
• Lead and manage the product development team, fostering performance and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in product development within couture or high-end fashion.
• Proven expertise in couture product development processes, sampling and production follow-up.
• Strong technical knowledge of garment construction, embroidery and fabric behaviours.
• Demonstrated budget management and product costing experience.
• Excellent organisational skills, precision and rigorous attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise multiple concurrent projects and meet tight creative schedules.
• Proven team leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.

Skills

Experience

At least 10 years in product development roles within couture or luxury fashion, with hands‑on management of sampling, external ateliers and development budgets.

Education

Degree or equivalent in fashion design, textile engineering, industrial fashion production or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience in lieu of formal qualification is acceptable.

Workplace

Culture

Balenciaga cultivates a high‑performance creative environment that values artistic excellence and professional development. As part of the Kering group, the maison promotes diversity and inclusion, encouraging teams to realise their potential within a stimulating, excellence‑driven workplace.

About Cerulean

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