Assistant Sweater Designer - Freelance

Confidential; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential is seeking an Assistant Designer to support the Designer in developing seasonal collections across Private Label and the Contemporary Main Line, with a focus on sweaters and knitwear.

The role requires knowledge of the contemporary customer, yarns, gauge, stitch development, and the ability to translate concepts into commercially viable products, while collaborating across design, merchandising, and development teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design or related field.
• 2+ years of professional womenswear design experience, with Contemporary experience required.
• Strong understanding of the Contemporary customer, trends, silhouettes, fabric and price points.
• Experience with fully fashioned sweaters, knit construction, and yarn choices.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel and Canva.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing seasonal collections for Private Label and the Contemporary Main Line.
• Support development of the Contemporary collection with understanding of customer, market, price point and competitive landscape.
• Assist in development of sweaters and knitwear across Contemporary and Private Label businesses.
• Collaborate with knit vendors and factories to communicate design intent and ensure proper execution.
• Prepare design specs, technical sketches, flat sketches, pitch sheets and trim sheets.

Skills

Womenswear design

Knitwear development

Adobe Photoshop

Illustrator

Canva

Excel

Strong communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design

Tools

RaspberryAI

AI tools

Job description

The Assistant Designer supports the Designer in the development and execution of seasonal collections across both Private Label and the Contemporary Main Line. This role will contribute to multiple product categories and customer needs, with a particular focus on sweaters and knitwear.

The Assistant Designer will assist in the conceptualization and design development of the Contemporary Main Line, while also supporting Private Label collections for key retail partners. The role requires a strong understanding of the Contemporary customer, including current fashion trends, modern silhouettes, fabrication, color, styling, and commercially relevant product.

The Assistant Designer should have a strong technical understanding of fully fashioned sweaters, including yarn qualities, gauges, stitches, construction, and knit techniques, and be able to translate design concepts into commercially viable knitwear.

The Assistant Designer prepares and maintains design materials including line review presentations, concept boards, fabric and color boards, flat sketches, and technical documentation. This role works closely with the Design and cross-functional teams to ensure each collection is cohesive, commercially relevant, and executed according to the seasonal calendar.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, creative, collaborative, and eager to learn, with prior Contemporary womenswear design experience and a strong understanding of the fashion market.

The Impact You Can Have

• Assist the Designer in developing seasonal collections for both Private Label and the Contemporary Main Line.
• Support the development of the Contemporary collection with an understanding of the customer, market, price point, and competitive landscape.
• Assist in the development of sweaters and knitwear across both Contemporary and Private Label businesses.
• Support the design and development of fully fashioned sweaters, including yarn selection, gauge, stitch development, knit construction, and detailing.
• Collaborate with knit vendors and factories to communicate design intent and ensure proper execution of sweater developments.
• Support the creation of design specification sheets, technical sketches, flat sketches, pitch sheets, and trim sheets.
• Contribute to seasonal concept development, line assortment, and product direction.
• Prepare presentation materials including concept boards, fabric boards, color palettes, flat sketches, and figure sketches.
• Assist with the preparation and setup of line review, concept, and seasonal presentations.
• Participate in line assortment building and presentations, helping create a cohesive, balanced, and commercially relevant collection.
• Attend fittings and provide design input and feedback as directed; maintain detailed notes and follow up on required changes.
• Maintain accurate product development logs, line sheets, presentation boards, and design archives.
• Track styles and updates throughout the development process and ensure information remains current and organized.
• Adhere to cross-functional calendars, deadlines, and key milestones.
• Participate in design, merchandising, product development, and cross-functional meetings as required.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with vendors and internal partners.
• Stay informed on emerging fashion, color, fabrication, and market trends, particularly within the Contemporary womenswear market.
• Utilize digital design and AI tools to support concept development, visual research, presentations, and creative ideation.
• Demonstrate curiosity, initiative, accountability, and a willingness to take on increasing responsibility.

What You’ll Bring to the Role

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design or a related field.
• 2+yearsof professional womenswear design experience, with Contemporary experience required.
• Experience designing for aContemporarycustomerandunderstandingofContemporarymarkettrends, silhouettes, fabric and price points.
• Strong understanding of fully fashioned sweater development, including yarns, gauges, stitches, knit construction, and techniques.
• Experience working with sweater/knit vendors and factories preferred.
• Experience with Private Label is a plus.
• Strong understanding of fashion, product development, color, fabrication, and trend.
• Strong sketching and illustration abilities.
• Ability to identify and interpret color, fashion, and market trends.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel, Microsoft Office, and Canva.
• Familiarity with RaspberryAIand other emerging AI-powered fashion/design tools preferred.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Creativity, enthusiasm, and a strong willingness to learn.