Footwear Design Manager - Color & Materials - Women's (F/M)

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Footwear Design Manager Colors & Materials (C&M) Women's, plays a critical role in shaping the visual identity, desirability and premium perception of Lacoste Women's Footwear.

This role owns the strategic and seasonal C&M direction for its given categories, translating brand DNA, consumer insights and cultural trends into commercially relevant and emotionally resonant product stories.

The role partners closely with Footwear Designers Create, Product Management and Development to ensure that color and materials elevate footwear, while remaining scalable and production-ready.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. C&M Strategy & Creative Direction

• Define and deliver seasonal C&M strategies aligned with Lacoste's brand vision, category needs and consumer insights.

• Develop color palettes and material directions.

• Translate macro and micro trends into clear, actionable C&M briefs.

• Ensure C&M consistency across collections while enabling differentiation by category and franchise.

• Contribute to multi-season thinking and long-term C&M vision.

1. Design Execution & Product Creation

• Create detailed C&M proposals, including color blocking and material mapping.

• Produce C&M boards, line plans and storytelling assets to support design and merchandising narratives.

• Partner with Footwear Designers Create to ensure seamless integration of C&M into silhouette design.

• Review samples and prototypes, ensuring color accuracy, material quality and finish execution.

• Drive continuous improvement of material richness, hand-feel and perceived value.

1. Consumer, Culture & Trend Insight

• Conduct ongoing research into consumer behavior, fashion, sport, street culture and materials innovation.

• Benchmark competitors and adjacent industries.

• Translate insights into commercially relevant C&M innovations.

• Ensure regional and cultural relevance across global markets.

1. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Product Line Management, Development and Materials teams to align C&M intent with cost, scalability and timelines.

• Collaborate on new materials and sustainable solutions.

• Present C&M direction clearly and convincingly in design and range reviews.

• Support alignment between categories and the wider Lacoste footwear portfolio.

1. Process & Quality Excellence

• Build and maintain C&M libraries, color standards and material references.

• Ensure all C&M information is clearly documented and production-ready.

• Support continuous improvement of C&M processes and tools.

• Maintain high standards of quality, consistency and attention to detail.