Art Director

Title: Art Director
Company Description: Luxury Fashion & Apparel
Location: Fully Onsite – Chicago – will provide relocation assistance
Responsibilities:
Creative Direction & Visual Leadership

• Lead the creative vision for all brand photography, video, and campaign assets from concept to completion.
• Define and enforce the visual standards of the brand, ensuring cohesion across e-commerce, social media, advertising, retail, and PR.
• Develop mood boards, creative briefs, and visual guidelines that inspire internal teams and external partners.
• Stay ahead of cultural, fashion, and creative trends to inform fresh, relevant storytelling.

Photo & Video Production Oversight

• Own the full lifecycle of photo and video shoots, including casting, set design, styling, and on-set creative leadership.
• Direct photographers, stylists, makeup artists, set designers, and other creative partners to achieve the highest level of visual output.
• Approve final selects and retouching to maintain brand quality and ensure assets are market-ready.

Team Leadership & Talent Management

• Manage and mentor an in-house retoucher, providing creative guidance and feedback to maintain consistent quality standards.
• Build, manage, and nurture a network of freelance creative partners, including photographers, stylists, makeup artists, and set designers.
• Negotiate contracts and manage relationships with external creative vendors, ensuring collaboration is productive and aligned with brand goals.
• Foster a collaborative, professional, and respectful creative environment in line with company workplace conduct and non-harassment policies.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with marketing, design, e-commerce, and merchandising teams to align creative direction with business goals.
• Partner with leadership to ensure visuals support brand strategy, product launches, and seasonal campaigns.
• Present creative concepts and campaign ideas to senior stakeholders for alignment and feedback.

Brand Content & Distribution

• Oversee the creation and distribution of content across all channels (social, e-commerce, campaigns, retail, and media partners).
• Ensure timely delivery of assets to internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Maintain digital asset management systems to ensure all content is accessible, organized, and updated.

Strategic & Operational Management

• Manage budgets, timelines, and deliverables for multiple concurrent projects.
• Use performance analytics and content engagement insights to refine creative direction and drive results.
• Balance creative innovation with consistency in brand representation.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Art Direction, Design, Fashion, Marketing, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3–7 years of experience in art direction within fashion, beauty, or lifestyle brands.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale fashion photo shoots and creative campaigns.
• Strong creative eye with proven ability to translate brand strategy into compelling visual storytelling.
• Experience managing retouchers, freelance creatives, and vendor relationships.
• Excellent leadership and collaboration skills with the ability to inspire both internal teams and external partners.
• Highly organized with strong project management skills; able to balance multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Capture One, and digital asset management systems.