Stella McCartney Head of Accessories and Bags Design

About Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a pioneering British luxury fashion house, founded in 2001 and renowned for redefining modern elegance through a steadfast commitment to sustainability, innovation, and cruelty-free design. As an employer, the brand offers a purpose-driven environment where creativity, craftsmanship, and responsible business practices converge across ready-to-wear, accessories, beauty, and lifestyle categories. Its teams are encouraged to challenge convention, embrace circular thinking, and contribute to a progressive vision of luxury that respects people, animals, and the planet. Working at Stella McCartney means joining an influential global maison with an entrepreneurial spirit and a clear ethical voice.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the Bags and Accessories design team, providing clear direction, mentorship, and support.
• Partner closely with the Creative Director and RTW Design Director to interpret their creative vision and translate it into high-quality products.
• Create mood boards and original seasonal inspiration themes for the Creative Director, develop colour-card proposals, and communicate key combinations clearly to developers.
• Lead design and research to identify emerging trends, innovative materials, and new technologies, keeping the brand at the forefront of the industry.
• Oversee the fabric and prototype archive, maintaining its organisation and accessibility for the design team.
• Develop and execute seasonal design strategy across all bags and accessories categories, creating 10–15 new styles per event.
• Introduce new fabrications to key carry-over groups—Falabella, Logo, Ryder, and Dartmoor—while maintaining product identity and prioritising sustainability.
• Work with the BU Director for development to support the collection process and timeline.
• Collaborate with the Merchandiser to understand the collection structure, share seasonal trends, translate market needs into designs, and secure Creative Director approval.
• Oversee the full design process, from concept development and sketching through prototype corrections, ensuring timely delivery and quality standards.
• Prepare and distribute design scans and specifications to the Product Manager.
• Communicate clearly with the product development team in Italy following each fitting and design meeting.
• Oversee fabric-to-sketch allocation in line with product and merchandising plans, and manage design-team workload effectively; budget and production management sit with those teams.
• Coordinate accurate material assignments with the Product Manager.
• Create high-quality renderings of bags and accessories for presentations and internal reviews.
• Develop quick mock-ups to help the Creative Director visualise designs and construction.
• Record detailed notes during fittings and follow-up presentations, ensuring accurate documentation.
• Prepare materials and presentations for design meetings and concept reviews.
• Meet collection deadlines and manage bags and accessories design-team resources effectively.
• Work effectively under pressure, multitask, and meet critical deadlines that affect the wider business.
• Work cross-functionally and build strong relationships with other departments.
• Keep the bags and accessories fitting room organised and productive.
• Lead execution across two pre-collections of approximately 160 samples each, two Paris runway collections of approximately 130 samples each, capsule collections, and special exclusive collaborations.

Qualifications

• Trend awareness, including keeping up with the latest fashion trends, materials, and styles.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Extensive leadership experience within a luxury fashion house, focused on bags and accessories, including handbags, small leather goods, keychains, belts, and accessories.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a design team and foster a collaborative, creative environment.
• Strong understanding of Stella McCartney's heritage, ethical values, and brand DNA.
• Excellent design and technical skills, with deep knowledge of materials, construction techniques, and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to create appropriate design timelines and manage changing priorities at short notice.
• Affinity with Stella McCartney's values, brand identity, and bags and accessories collection style.
• Strong travel-budget management and resource-allocation skills.
• Experience with CAD software, Adobe Suite, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• Italian language skills are desirable.
• Knowledge of legal requirements relating to confidentiality and intellectual property.

Skills

Experience

Extensive leadership experience within a luxury fashion house, focused on bags and accessories.

Benefits

Up to 50% discount on Stella McCartney products; matched pension contributions up to 6%; private medical and critical illness insurance and life assurance; annual health screening; 25 days of annual leave plus one birthday-leave day, excluding bank holidays; flexible working and core hours; enhanced maternity and paternity packages; matched Give as You Earn charity scheme; discounted gym and fitness memberships through ClassPass; health cash plan; physical and mental wellbeing support services; employee referral bonus; optional paid benefits including season-ticket loan, cycle-to-work and technology schemes, and travel and dental insurance.

Culture

Stella McCartney fosters a progressive, purpose-driven workplace where creativity is closely tied to sustainability, innovation, and responsible luxury. The brand encourages collaboration, ethical thinking, and entrepreneurial energy, offering employees an environment shaped by modern design, conscious values, and a commitment to positive change in fashion.

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.