Fendi Director, Merchandising
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Jun 30, 2026
About Fendi
Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi stands as one of Italy’s most distinguished luxury houses, celebrated for its exceptional craftsmanship, Roman spirit, and bold creative vision. As an employer, Fendi offers a dynamic environment where heritage and innovation meet across métiers including design, leather goods, fur, ready-to-wear, retail, communications, and corporate functions. The Maison values artisanal excellence, cultural curiosity, entrepreneurial energy, and collaboration, inviting its teams to contribute to a legacy defined by refinement and experimentation. Within the LVMH Group, Fendi provides international career opportunities, strong professional development, and the privilege of shaping the future of contemporary luxury.
Fendi seeks Merchandising Director in New York to lead RTW, Shoes, Fur & Kids strategies for the Americas. Report to VP Merchandising; manage two merchandising managers.
Role & Responsibilities
- Define, implement, and communicate merchandising strategies for RTW, Shoes, and Fur in alignment with brand vision and financial objectives
- Lead market analysis to identify trends, opportunities, and competitive challenges specific to the Americas and assigned product categories
- Collaborate with cross-functional partners including Omni, CRM, Visual Merchandising, Retail, and Communications to develop and execute cohesive go-to-market plans aligned with financial KPIs
- Supervise, mentor, and develop two direct reports: Merchandising Manager, RTW & Fur and Merchandising Manager, Shoes & Kids
- Monitor category performance by analyzing sales data, managing inventory levels, and adjusting merchandising plans to optimize revenue growth and profitability
- Communicate category performance updates, opportunities, and wins to local leadership and Fendi headquarters in Rome
- Cultivate strong relationships with key retail partners to ensure optimal product performance consistency with brand strategy
- Coordinate with Visual Merchandising teams to maintain consistent product presentation across all retail channels
- Collaborate with the Vice President of Merchandising on range planning activities to ensure alignment across all department categories
- Drive product assortment innovation by monitoring industry advancements and evolving consumer preferences
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising, or related field
- Minimum 8 years of merchandising experience in a luxury fashion environment
- Direct experience managing Designer Ready-to-Wear with shoe merchandising experience preferred
- Proven track record establishing, managing, and developing high-performing teams
- Strong analytical and retail math capabilities paired with creative strategic thinking
- In-depth knowledge of luxury fashion market dynamics, customer segmentation, competitive analysis, and pricing strategies
- Proficiency in inventory management principles and retail operations
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with ability to present complex concepts to diverse organizational audiences
- Strategic and tactical execution ability with keen attention to detail and capacity to perform under pressure
Skills
Experience
Minimum 8 years of merchandising experience in a luxury fashion environment with direct responsibility for managing Designer Ready-to-Wear categories. Prior leadership experience managing and developing merchandising teams required.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising, or a related discipline.
Workplace
This position is based in New York, New York, USA.
Culture
Fendi cultivates a workplace culture rooted in Roman heritage, exceptional craftsmanship, and a forward-looking spirit of creativity. As an employer, it offers a refined, collaborative environment where teams are encouraged to combine technical excellence with bold innovation in service of a distinctive luxury vision.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Fendi, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Merchandising Director», «Director of Product Merchandising», «Senior Merchandising Director», «Merchandising Strategic Lead», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.