Tapestry Associate Technical Designer
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Mid-Level
- Compensation
- $64,350–78,700/year
- Department
- Creative, Design & Styling
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Apr 28, 2026
About Tapestry
Kate Spade New York is a globally recognised lifestyle brand within the Tapestry portfolio, celebrated for its colourful, optimistic aesthetic across handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear and home décor. As part of Tapestry—a multi-brand house known for Coach, Kate Spade and other maisons—the brand combines creative design sensibility with rigorous product development and a commitment to inclusive, innovation-driven culture.
Kate Spade New York (Tapestry) is hiring an Associate Technical Designer in New York — manage product specs for handbags from concept through production.
Role & Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Design, Product Development and Merchandising teams to produce and deliver accurate product specifications from concept through production.
- Support proto rounds by translating designer intent into technical specs, verifying sketches, dimensions and construction notes for accuracy.
- Assist Tech Designer and Senior Tech Designer with final bulk pass-off, executing seasonal spec updates and ensuring post-market changes are approved.
- Maintain consistency of product specifications across factories and seasons and assist with factory communications as required.
- Review and correct post-market samples, documenting deviations and proposing corrective actions.
- Create and maintain digital design-detail and standards libraries to support cross-functional teams.
- Research product functionality and market trends to inform technical decisions and improvements.
- Produce CAD and artwork assets as required, using Illustrator and Photoshop to support development cycles.
Qualifications
- 2–4 years of technical design experience, preferably within handbags or accessories.
- College degree in fashion design or a related discipline (Bachelor’s degree preferred).
- Proven proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop (required).
- Experience producing CAD/artwork for product development.
- Familiarity with product construction and factory processes (preferred).
- Experience with Substance 3D, Raspberry AI, Adobe Firefly or other product-design AI tools (a plus).
- Microsoft Excel experience (a plus).
- Strong written communication, detailed note-taking and organisational skills; flexible to work in-office as needed by the development calendar.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 2–4 years of hands-on technical design experience in handbags, accessories or closely related product categories, with a track record of supporting proto-to-production cycles and cross-functional collaboration with design, PD and merchandising teams.
Education
Bachelor's degree in fashion design or a related field.
Workplace
The role is situated in New York, New York, USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 64,350 to USD 78,700 per annum.
Benefits
Medical insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, 401(k), Paid paternity and maternity leave, Commuter benefits, Disability insurance, Tuition assistance.
Culture
Kate Spade New York operates within Tapestry’s multi-brand environment, blending creative optimism with disciplined product development. The workplace values creativity, customer focus and learning agility, and supports inclusion and career development across global teams.
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 Tapestry, 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 «Technical Design Associate», «Assistant Technical Designer», «Product Technical Designer», «Accessory Technical Designer», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.