Sr. Stylist, Visual Direction

The Gap

San Francisco, California

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Art Direction, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Auditing, Best Practices, Coaching, Communication Skills, Documentation, Leadership, Mentoring, Product Support, Quality Control, Retouching, Storytelling, Team Player, Training/Teaching
LOCATION
San Francisco, California
POSTED
30+ days ago

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Sr. Stylist, Visual Direction to elevate and advance our Lay Down (PPLD) work. This role sits under Styling and brings together advanced styling skills, visual direction, and the ability to support a smooth, efficient workflow. You will work closely with Photo, Retouching, and Brand partners to ensure premium, consistent, intentional imagery across all categories while helping modernize our workflow through new tools, including AI. This role supports both the creative bar and the systems behind it: coaching stylists, maintaining standards, strengthening workflow, and pushing our styling
practice forward.

What You'll Do

StylingCraft&CreativeDirection
•Act as the studio’s PPLD styling expert: techniques, tools, composition, shaping, folding,
texture, shadow, and accuracy.
•Style as needed across categories; on-figure experience is a plus.
•Train and coach stylists directly on set, reinforcing elevated techniques and best practices.
•Provide markups in Axis and ensure photographers and retouchers receive clear,
actionable direction.
•Partner with Photo and Retouching teams through weekly touchpoints to align on angles,
lighting, quality expectations, and post-production needs.
•Conduct regular site audits to evaluate accuracy, consistency, and customer impact;
translate findings into styling and retouching updates.
•Track styling trends, pull swipe, and incorporate new creative references, including AI-
generated concepts when appropriate, to keep our work modern and forward-thinking.
WorkflowLeadership&TeamSupport
•Curate daily and weekly workloads based on skill sets, product complexity, and volume.
•Serve as a daily resource for stylists — reviewing work, making decisions, and supporting
growth.
•Maintain a strong understanding of shot complexity, timing, and retouching needs to
support accurate planning and meet deliverables.
•Build and maintain style guides, decks, and documentation for both internal teams and
freelancers.
•Support product walk-throughs with clear interpretations of brand intent.
Senior Stylist, Visual Direction
•Act as a liaison between Styling, Photo, Retouching, and Brand to ensure alignment and
consistent communication.
•Identify opportunities to streamline or enhance the workflow — including exploring AI tools
that improve ideation, documentation, or efficiency without compromising craft.
Creative+OperationalDuality
Thisroleblends:
•Creative vision — high taste level, editorial eye, strong product storytelling.
•Operational clarity — smart scheduling, pace setting, quality control, and strategic use of
evolving tools (including AI).
SuccessLooksLike:
•Elevated,consistent,premiumLayDownimageryacrossallcategories.
•Clearcoachingandsupportthathelpsstylistsgrowintechniqueandconsistency.
•Strongpartnershipswithphotographersandretouchers,groundedinweeklyalignment.
•Routinesiteauditsthatfuelcontinuousimprovement.
•Documentationandstyleguidesthatsupportclarityandcross-teamalignment.
•Amoreintentional,efficientPPLDworkflowrootedinskill-basedschedulingand
modernizedwiththoughtfuluseofAI.

Who You Are

WhoYouAre/AdditionalJobDescription:
•HighlyskilledinPPLDstylingwithexceptionalattentiontodetailandtaste.
•A strong teacher and mentor, able to give clear, actionable feedback.
•Comfortable partnering deeply with Photo and Retouching.
•Open and curious, interested in new tools, including AI, and how they can elevate or
streamline styling work.
•Creative yet grounded in operational realities (timing, shot count, accuracy).
•Calm, collaborative, and an excellent communicator.
•Excited to build systems, elevate craft, and strengthen the Styling function.
•10+ years of advanced styling experience, with deep roots in PPLD and a sharp, editorial
eye. Art direction experience is a plus, but styling expertise is a must.
•4+ years in a stylist leadership or management capacity, guiding quality, coaching the team,
and maintaining high creative standards.

About the Company

T

The Gap

Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in 1969 with a simple idea -- to make it easier to find a pair of jeans and a commitment to do more. Over the last 46 years, the company has grown from a single store to a global fashion business with five brands -- Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix. Gap's clothes are available in 90 countries worldwide through 3,300 company-operated stores, almost 400 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites and is still growing. Many companies work to improve their services and businesses every day by using GAP Testers who anonymously go into various places and report back to the companies on everything from cleanliness, customer service to quality control. Being a tester is a very flexible, fun job with lots of benefits.
COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
All
WEBSITE
http://www.gap.com