Job Overview

The Director of Trend will lead the macro/micro trend research functions, annual/seasonal/quarterly trend vision, and enterprise story-telling direction for Macys private and market brands. The position requires the ability to identify, study, and communicate macro trends, consumer behavior shifts, cultural influences, past/future zeitgeist impacts, and emerging style trends across all areas of business in both apparel, accessories, and home.  This leader will successfully articulate trend strategies and ideas that align with Macy’s overall direction and customer base. The individual must be able to drive research strategies and collaborative ideations that result in consumable ideas that can be applied to brand and category-level design. A strong ability to influence, story-tell, and gain trust to push new ideas into implementation will be key to the success in this role. 

Essential Functions

• Build and Drive trend strategy, vision, and fashion application across brands for Macy’s in partnership with SVP of Design.
• Showcase ability to organize trend research functions and tools for the team with regard to emerging trends through; curious observation, travel, trend service engagement, street-style, runway, art, and music.
• Develop Annual, Seasonal, and Quarterly trend forecast presentations that include Macro Influences, Color, Fabric, Artwork, Silhouette, and Styling Cues for Apparel, Accessories, and Home.
• Builds enterprise-wide story-telling and big-idea moments, experience-led ideas, and broad-based creative collateral that elevates Macy’s impact as a modern department store.
• Manages relationships with external trend services, and drives active engagement with the fashion and design community both internally and externally.
• Effective process management, workflow planning, team leadership, and delegation across functions that support the design and product strategy for the year, season, or quarter.
• Lead and Influence Design, Merchant, and Vendor Partners, through effective and consistent communication, presentation materials, and authority in research and future-focused thinking.  
• Utilize Trend Curve philosophies to ensure commercial application, customer-segment alignment, and fashion pyramid balance.
• Advise design and merchants on trend direction by brand, and ensure product design and selection aligns to proper interpretation of trend strategy.
• Leads and manages special project requests, and deep dive work in partnership with SVP of design.
• Create an engaging collaborative culture both within the trend team,  and also outside the office with all cross functional partners.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree from a 4-year college or university.
• 10+ years’ experience in Design, Fine Arts, Fashion Editorial or Trend Forecasting.
• Balanced Art & Science mindset.
• Relentless customer focus and strong collaborator.
• Strategic and critical thinker who is dynamic, forward thinking, extremely analytic and well organized.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Complex problem solving, independent judgement and effective decision-making skills.
• Build and maintain excellent relationships with cross functional partners.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on department and Company needs.

Leadership

• Ability to set the vision for the work and the team.
• People leadership experience with a demonstrated ability to manage, coach and develop others.
• Ability to manage conflict and drive engagement.