Assistant Visual Merchandising Manager, North China

Founded in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent was the first couture house to introduce the concept of luxury prêt-à-porter in a 1966 collection called ‘Rive Gauche’, synonymous with youth and freedom. This shift represented a first critical step in the modernization of fashion and revolutionized the socio-cultural landscape. In 1999, the luxury goods division of the Kering Group acquired Yves Saint Laurent and, under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello since April 2016, continues to position the house at the summit of the luxury universe. Today, Saint Laurent collections include women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, small leather goods, jewelry, scarves, ties and eyewear. We are currently seeking a Assistant Visual Merchandising Manager, North China who will report to Visual Merchandising Manager. Role: Responsible for the Visual Merchandising in North China Region. Ensure high visual standards in the area, Train and coach Beijing In-Store VM and ambassadors, Manage special projects and store openings, Coordinate and align VM strategy with Retail and Merchandising departments.

Responsibilities

Responsible for Visual Merchandising in North China Region; Ensure high visual standards in the area; Train and coach Beijing In-Store VM and ambassadors; Manage special projects and store openings; Coordinate and align VM strategy with Retail and Merchandising departments; Manage the overall visual merchandising in-season process and visit stores as required to ensure consistent excellence of visual presentation standards and consistent roll-out of the VM strategy; Ensure all visual merchandising standards are of the highest level and in line with direction from headquarters; Provide effective recommendations based on business performance and sales trends to support store targets while remaining in line with the Brand’s image standards; Oversee the design, layout and display strategy during special projects (Store opening, Pop Up, Trunk Shows etc.), managing these projects in coordination with other departments and HQ; Support the seasonal lightbox installations and provide Image reports to HQ; Coach and develop Beijing In-store VM; Provide visual merchandising training to the North China VM ambassadors, ensure they are able to maintain excellent VM standards as well as understand latest visual merchandising direction from the headquarters; Manage VM process and relationships with key cross-functional business partners, including Merchandising, Store Planning and stores; Manage relationships with local and overseas suppliers

Requirements

Education background: Fashion or Business School degree; Min. 5 years of direct experience in visual merchandising; Strong understanding of the retail industry and ability to seek and understand trends; Good sense of high-end fashion and retail; Good command of spoken & written English and Chinese; Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, independently as well as in a team environment; Attention to details, follow-up and organizational skills; Able to travel frequently

Nice to have

Experience in luxury (fashion) retail industry