Senior Footwear Designer

Senior Footwear Designer

Malone Souliers | London | Full-time

About Malone Souliers

Malone Souliers is a London-founded luxury footwear brand recognised for its distinctive design language, sculptural silhouettes, refined craftsmanship and modern femininity. With a strong heritage in footwear and an established international presence, the brand continues to evolve its creative identity while maintaining a commitment to exceptional design, quality and craftsmanship.

We are looking for an experienced and highly creative Senior Footwear Designer to join the design team and play a key role in shaping the future direction of Malone Souliers.

The Role

The Senior Footwear Designer will be responsible for designing and developing seasonal footwear collections from initial concept through to final production.

Working closely with the Creative Director and collaborating across Design, Development, Production and Merchandising, the role will combine strong creative vision with deep technical footwear knowledge and commercial awareness.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished footwear designer with a sophisticated understanding of luxury product, excellent knowledge of construction and materials, and the ability to create distinctive footwear that is both desirable and commercially relevant.

This is a hands-on role requiring someone who can take ownership of the design process, challenge ideas, develop new silhouettes and ensure the highest level of execution throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Design

• Design and develop seasonal women's footwear collections, as well as handbags, in line with the Malone Souliers’ creative vision and brand DNA.
• Develop original concepts, silhouettes and key seasonal statements while continuing to evolve Malone Souliers' signature design codes.
• Research fashion, art, culture, architecture, materials, craftsmanship and emerging trends to create relevant and inspiring design concepts.
• Build seasonal mood boards, colour stories, material palettes and design concepts.
• Produce high-quality hand sketches, fashion illustrations and technical drawings.
• Translate creative concepts into commercially viable footwear collections across key categories including heels, sandals, boots, flats and other relevant silhouettes.
• Identify opportunities for new shapes, constructions, materials, embellishments and techniques.
• Maintain a strong balance between innovation, desirability, wearability and commercial potential.

Footwear Expertise & Product Development

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of footwear construction, including lasts, heels, soles, uppers, components, patterns and manufacturing techniques.
• Develop designs with a clear understanding of fit, proportion, balance and wearability.
• Work closely with the Product Development and Production teams to translate designs accurately into prototypes and final products.
• Review and comment on prototypes and samples, providing clear direction on shape, proportion, fit, construction, materials, colour and finish.
• Attend fittings and sample reviews and make informed design decisions throughout the development process.
• Work directly with factories, technicians, pattern cutters and suppliers where required.
• Develop and source innovative leathers, fabrics, trims, hardware, heels and other components.
• Resolve technical and production challenges while protecting the original design intent.
• Ensure final products achieve the required level of luxury, craftsmanship and quality.

Collection & Commercial Thinking

• Work collaboratively with Merchandising to understand customer, market and commercial requirements.
• Contribute to seasonal range architecture, ensuring a balanced and compelling collection across categories and price points.
• Understand the importance of core, commercial and fashion styles within a luxury footwear collection.
• Identify opportunities to refresh and build upon successful Malone Souliers styles without compromising brand identity.
• Monitor competitor and market activity and translate relevant insights into commercially meaningful design opportunities.
• Consider cost, manufacturing feasibility, margin and target retail positioning during the design process.

Brand & Creative Identity

• Help define and evolve the Malone Souliers design language and visual identity.
• Protect and strengthen distinctive brand signatures while introducing new creative perspectives.
• Develop products that are recognisably Malone Souliers while remaining fresh, modern and relevant.
• Contribute to the creation of future icons and commercially enduring footwear franchises.
• Maintain an exceptionally high standard of design detail and execution across every collection.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Work closely with the Creative Director and Senior Leadership Team to translate the overall creative vision into product.
• Collaborate with Development, Production, Merchandising, Sales and Marketing teams.
• Present design concepts and collections clearly and confidently to Senior Stakeholders.
• Provide guidance and support to junior designers where appropriate.
• Help establish a positive, creative and collaborative design culture.
• Take ownership of agreed projects and ensure deadlines are consistently met.

About You

You will ideally have:

• 6+ year’s experience in footwear design, with strong experience at Senior Designer level or equivalent.
• A proven track record of designing women's luxury footwear collections.
• An exceptional footwear portfolio demonstrating strong creative thinking and commercial product development.
• Deep technical knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, heels, soles, patterns, materials and manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of Italian footwear manufacturing and luxury craftsmanship.
• Excellent knowledge of leather, suede, satin, mesh, embellishment, hardware and specialist materials.
• Strong understanding of fit, proportion, balance and comfort.
• Excellent drawing, illustration and technical design skills.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and other relevant design tools.
• Proficiency in English and Italian.
• Experience taking products from initial concept through prototype, fitting and production.
• Experience working directly with Italian factories, suppliers and development teams.
• Strong understanding of the luxury footwear market, customer and competitive landscape.
• Commercial awareness and an ability to design with both creativity and business objectives in mind.
• Excellent communication, presentation and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, categories and seasonal deadlines simultaneously.

Education

A degree in Footwear Design, Fashion Design, Product Design or a related discipline is preferred, although significant professional experience and an exceptional portfolio will be equally important.