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Apparel Creative Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Bentex

Creative Director

Manhattan, NY · On-site

About the Company Bentex is a leading licensed apparel company, producing character and branded ... About the Role Your goal as Creative Director is to make imagikids the premier destination for ...

Format Press

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Art Director / Creative Director

Brooklyn, NY · On-site

$65K - $85K/yr

Creative Direction ... Establish the visual direction for client work across print, promotional products, apparel, gifting ...

KnitWell Group

Creative Director (Chico's)

Estero, FL · On-site

... creative best practices. * May plan and direct photo shoots, including pre and post-production ... A strong curiosity and desire to learn the women's intimate apparel landscape, the WHBM brand, and ...

Knitwellgroup

Creative Director (Chico's)

Estero, FL · On-site

... creative best practices. * May plan and direct photo shoots, including pre and post-production ... A strong curiosity and desire to learn the women's intimate apparel landscape, the WHBM brand, and ...

Regional Client

Creative Director (Chico's)

Fort Myers, FL · On-site

$100 - $125/hr

... creative best practices. * May plan and direct photo shoots, including pre and post-production ... A strong curiosity and desire to learn the women's intimate apparel landscape, the WHBM brand, and ...

New

Ariat

VP, Executive Creative Director

San Leandro, CA · On-site

$280K - $300K/yr

Are you ready to inspire and drive the creative expression at the leading western and work apparel ... The VP, Executive Creative Director will report to the Chief Marketing Officer and work closely ...

Regional Client

Creative Director (Soma)

Fort Myers, FL · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Inspired by our customers who appreciate fashion as much as function, Soma is an intimate apparel ... This role plays an important role in creative concept development and seasonal storytelling but is ...

Knitwellgroup

Creative Director (Soma)

Estero, FL · On-site

... is an intimate apparel brand that embraces a passion for comfort and confidence by offering ... This role plays an important role in creative concept development and seasonal storytelling but is ...

KnitWell Group

Creative Director (Soma)

Estero, FL · On-site

... is an intimate apparel brand that embraces a passion for comfort and confidence by offering ... This role plays an important role in creative concept development and seasonal storytelling but is ...

Triwill Group

Senior Director, Creative

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

... apparel and fashion and beyond, the Brand Experience team is there, where the brand meets our fans. The Senior Creative Director is a mentor and culture-carrier, who is as passionate about how we ...

Odd Sox

Director of Performance Creative

Tampa, FL · On-site

$125 - $150/hr

Own the creative strategy across all paid social channels, with a primary focus on Meta. * Develop ... Experience in direct-to-consumer (DTC), e-commerce, apparel, fashion, accessories, or consumer ...

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Apparel Creative Director information

See salary details

$43K

$129.3K

$216.5K

How much do apparel creative director jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for apparel creative director in the United States is $129,330.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $99,500.00 and $152,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an apparel creative director do?

An Apparel Creative Director is responsible for shaping the overall visual identity and creative direction of a clothing brand or fashion label. They oversee the design team, set seasonal themes, approve concepts, and ensure that collections align with the brand’s vision. Their role also involves collaborating with marketing, production, and merchandising teams to maintain brand consistency across all channels. Ultimately, they play a key role in ensuring the brand stands out in a competitive market by making innovative and cohesive design decisions.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as an apparel creative director?

To thrive as an Apparel Creative Director, you need a strong background in fashion design, trend forecasting, and brand strategy, often supported by a degree in fashion or design and significant industry experience. Mastery of design software like Adobe Creative Suite, familiarity with textile technologies, and portfolio development are crucial technical skills. Leadership, creative vision, effective communication, and the ability to inspire and manage design teams are vital soft skills. These competencies ensure the ability to drive innovative collections that align with brand identity and succeed in a competitive fashion market.

How does an apparel creative director collaborate with other departments during a product's development cycle?

An Apparel Creative Director works closely with design, merchandising, marketing, and production teams throughout the product development process. They lead the vision by setting creative direction, ensuring that designs align with brand identity and market trends. Regular meetings and feedback sessions foster collaboration, allowing the Creative Director to guide the design team, coordinate with merchandisers to balance creativity with commercial viability, and communicate with production to ensure feasibility and quality. This cross-functional teamwork is essential for bringing cohesive and successful collections to market.

What is the difference between Apparel Creative Director vs Apparel Designer?

AspectApparel Creative DirectorApparel Designer
ResponsibilitiesOversees overall brand vision, manages design teams, sets creative directionCreates individual clothing designs, sketches, and prototypes
Required SkillsLeadership, strategic thinking, strong design sense, industry experienceDesign skills, technical sewing knowledge, trend awareness
Work EnvironmentCreative teams, fashion houses, brand headquartersDesign studios, fashion houses, manufacturing facilities
CredentialsTypically a degree in fashion design or related field, extensive experienceFashion design degree or equivalent experience

The Apparel Creative Director focuses on guiding the overall creative vision and managing design teams, while the Apparel Designer concentrates on creating specific clothing pieces. Both roles require fashion knowledge, but the director's role is more strategic and leadership-oriented.

What does an apparel creative director do for a clothing brand?

An apparel creative director oversees the visual and conceptual aspects of a clothing brand, guiding the design team to develop collections that align with the brand’s identity. They are responsible for setting creative vision, approving designs, and ensuring consistency across marketing and product lines, often collaborating with marketing, production, and sales teams.

What cities are hiring for Apparel Creative Director jobs?

Cities with the most Apparel Creative Director job openings:

What states have the most Apparel Creative Director jobs?

States with the most job openings for Apparel Creative Director jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Apparel Creative Director jobs?

For Apparel Creative Director jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Apparel Creative Director job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,330 per year, or $62.2 per hour.

Creative Director

Manhattan, NY • On-site

Bentex
201 - 500 employees
Learn more about Bentexexternal

Other

Posted 7 days ago

Job description


About the Company



Bentex is a leading licensed apparel company, producing character and branded products across kids, family, and adult categories. imagikids is our consumer-facing brand and our direct online business, selling ' apparel through our own site and across digital retail and marketplace partners.



About the Role



Your goal as Creative Director is to make imagikids the premier destination for licensed kids' apparel online, sitting between media creativity and data-driven marketing. You will own the visual standard and creative direction across every consumer-facing touchpoint. Today that team includes a photographer, social media manager and ad specialist. You will partner with merchandising, licensing, ecommerce, and sales teams to understand what each launch needs, and translate that into creative strategy — ensuring outcomes are on brand, on license, on budget, and commercially effective.



Responsibilities



  • Define and own the imagikids brand identity and visual point of view, and build the cohesive creative vision that differentiates us in a crowded licensed category.
  • Own the visual standard across all ecommerce and digital content, so the brand reads as one coherent experience wherever a customer encounters it.
  • Lead creative concept and art direction for seasonal launches, product photography, and lifestyle shoots; direct on set and own final creative approval.
  • Design for constraint: a single hero concept has to hold up across product galleries, enhanced content, partner-facing placements, and paid media.
  • Own and build the creative and marketing relationship with our licensors — ensuring not only all content follows brand guidelines while telling the imagikids story.
  • Continually monitor conversion, click-through, and sales data to prioritize creative investment where there is ROI.
  • Direct the creative experience of our direct-to-consumer site in partnership with development.
  • Manage marketing budget, vendor and agency relationships, and production standards alongside your Content Production Manager.
  • Remain current on emerging tools and AI-enabled creative workflows and put them to work within the same licensor compliance gate as everything else.
  • Assisting day-to-day in any creative ecom function, such as designing a stakeholder presentation.



Qualifications



  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
  • 8+ years in digital creative, art direction, or brand — ideally in apparel, consumer products, or DTC.
  • Demonstrated experience building or repositioning a brand's visual identity, not only executing within an existing one.
  • Experience leading and developing creative talent, and managing photographers, vendors, and agency partners.
  • Direct experience with character licensing and licensor approval workflows, or passionate about the world of licensed brands.
  • Strong hands-on foundation in photography, art direction, image selection, and Photoshop — enough to direct a photographer with credibility and make the final creative call.
  • Working knowledge of ecommerce merchandising, product detail pages, and enhanced content.
  • Current portfolio to be submitted with your application.



Required Skills



The ideal candidate is skilled, savvy, scrappy, sociable, strategic, and sales-minded. You possess strong visual judgment, a knack for resourceful execution, and a deep-rooted understanding that beautiful creative only succeeds when it drives tangible demand and conversion. If you are a visionary storyteller who loves the hustle of growth, we want to hear from you.

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