Michael Kors Senior Licensing Designer
About Michael Kors
Michael Kors is a global luxury lifestyle brand known for accessible American sportswear and a strong accessories offering. The label operates within Capri Holdings, a multinational fashion group, and maintains a fast-paced, design-driven environment focused on global product innovation across ready-to-wear and accessories.
Michael Kors Senior Licensing Designer in NY Metro Area — lead licensed accessories design from concept through approval. Apply for a senior design role at Michael Kors.
Role & Responsibilities
- Own and steer the creative direction for Michael Kors licensed accessory products from concept through final approval across watches, jewelry, eyewear, belts and kids’ accessories.
- Translate seasonal brand aesthetic, color palettes and print assortments into licensed product assortments; maintain category-specific print, design and product libraries.
- Conduct global market research to identify emerging trends, materials and techniques to inform product innovation and category differentiation.
- Serve as the in-house category expert on trends and competitive landscape; lead seasonal trend presentations and contribute to seasonal themes, line edits and new product concepts.
- Manage the licensed product design workflow including market research, mood-board creation, product reviews, and ongoing communication with licensees.
- Act as primary liaison to licensee design teams, providing seasonal brand direction, day-to-day design guidance and ensuring alignment with brand standards.
- Coordinate with internal design teams (handbags, footwear, RTW) to align seasonal concepts and prototypes across categories.
- Maintain and adhere to design and development calendars with internal and external partners; prepare for and follow up on all design meetings.
- Provide timely feedback and approvals on licensee-submitted designs and product samples to ensure on-time development.
- Ensure licensed products meet brand standards for quality, design integrity and correct product identification (hardware, labels, logos, trims).
- Partner with the Global Licensing team on seasonal development calendars, line extensions, process improvements and potential new business opportunities.
- Lead seasonal hindsight reviews with stakeholders to capture learnings and inform future product strategy.
Qualifications
- 6–8 years of design experience within aspirational luxury or luxury goods.
- Demonstrated expertise in accessories categories, including hardware, color, print and graphic design.
- Strong construction knowledge across multiple accessory categories.
- Licensing experience preferred.
- Excellent communication, presentation, organizational and multitasking skills.
- Bachelor’s degree in Design, Art or a related field.
Skills
Experience
6–8 years of progressive product design experience in aspirational luxury or luxury goods, with demonstrated work across multiple accessory categories; licensing experience is preferred.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Design, Art, or a related field.
Workplace
This position is based in New York, New York, USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 105,000 to USD 170,000 per annum.
Culture
Michael Kors cultivates a creative, fast-paced workplace with an emphasis on design excellence and commercial sensibility. The organization values collaboration across global design and licensing teams and promotes inclusivity and diversity in recruitment and day-to-day operations.
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 Michael Kors, 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 «Senior Product Designer – Licensed Accessories», «Lead Licensing Designer», «Senior Accessories Licensing Designer», «Senior Designer, Licensed Products», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.