Designer

Join the Kowtow Design Studio

About Kowtow

Kowtow began in Wellington in 2006 with one simple idea: clothing that can return to the earth without harm. Our Fairtrade organic cotton garments are designed with circularity in mind: plastic free, waste reduced, nature restored. The limits of this ethos help fuel our creativity, inspiring garments with a strong, minimal identity.

The Role

We’re looking for an apparel Designer to help shape our seasonal collections from concept to completion. Working alongside our Head Designer and Production team, you’ll translate global inspiration into timeless garments, all in one single natural fibre.

Ideally, we’d like the successful candidate to work on-site in our Wellington Atelier, however we are open to discuss flexible working arrangements with talented designers based in New Zealand or Australia.  

What You’ll Do

  • Create range themes and mood boards, and translate them into Kowtow’s clean, lasting aesthetic.

  • Design ranges that align with our product development plan and colour story specifications, keeping every detail true to our sustainability goals.

  • Develop products across cut-and-sew, knitwear, denim and woven categories, collaborating with the in-house production team to bring the design vision to life.

What You Bring

  • A minimum two years’ work experience in an apparel design and development role.

  • Strong hand-sketching skills, and a love of art, fashion and design.

  • Comfort with Adobe Suite, CLO or similar tools, and the ability to juggle projects and deadlines with ease.

  • Commercial understanding of the fashion industry and global market trends.

  • A genuine interest in circularity, sustainability and design innovation.

Working with Kowtow

Our light-filled Wellington studio hums with creativity. We offer a 9-day fortnight, flexible working options, volunteer days, and generous clothing discounts - because everyone deserves to wear plastic free Fairtrade organic cotton. We value diversity, kindness and curiosity, and we’re united by a mission to leave the planet better than we found it.

To apply, please email your  CV, cover letter and online portfolio to careers@kowtowclothing.com

Applicants must hold NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa to be considered.

Â