Freelance Design Assistant, Color Specialist

Dreamwear Inc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 34,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

Dreamwear is seeking a Freelance Assistant Designer with an exceptional eye for color to support seasonal color research, palette development, and color execution across our brand portfolio. The role translates trends into color stories and provides design support for junior brands and accounts in a fast-paced environment.

The position is a 1099 contractor based in New York and requires in-office presence in Midtown on Tue/Wed/Thu, with potential evolution into full-time.

Qualifications

• Degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Color, or a related field preferred, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Previous internship or 1-2 years of relevant experience in apparel design, textiles, color, or a related fashion environment preferred.
• Exceptional eye for color and a foundational understanding of color theory, with the ability to distinguish subtle variations in shades and undertones.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop; demonstrated experience creating CADs, colorways, palettes, and presentation materials preferred.
• Familiarity with Pantone and Coloro systems is a plus.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to maintain both physical and digital color and design resources accurately.
• Must possess strong communication skills with consistent follow-through.
• Ability to take direction, incorporate feedback and manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, collaborative, and eager to learn, with a genuine passion for fashion, color, and trend.
• Must be able to work in our Midtown Manhattan office.

Responsibilities

• Research current and emerging color, fashion, lifestyle, beauty, runway, and retail trends to identify relevant seasonal direction and inspiration for individual brands and customers.
• Assist in developing physical and digital color palettes, color stories, mood boards, trend boards, and presentation materials for concept development, internal reviews, and customer meetings.
• Create and update color presentations, palettes, and supporting materials based on team feedback, maintaining accuracy, consistency, and alignment with each brand.
• Support color matching and color selection across teams, with close attention to consistency against established brand standards.
• Maintain organized physical and digital color resources, including color racks, the sample room, swatches, standards, color libraries, and reference files; assist with Pantone and Coloro standards as needed.
• Provide additional design support for junior brands and accounts as workload allows, including CAD updates, technical flat sketches, colorway development, and preparation of presentation-ready design materials.
• Partner closely with Designers and cross-functional teams to keep color and design projects organized, communicate updates, and ensure key deadlines are met.

Job description

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Freelance Design Assistant, Color Specialist

Contractor - 1099 Legal Address, New York, NY, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1347

Salary Range: $25.00 To $29.00 Hourly

Dreamwear is a leading wholesale intimate apparel and sleepwear company working with iconic brands such as Juicy Couture, Laura Ashley, Danskin, Nautica, and many more. Our longstanding global partnerships enable us to deliver beautifully designed, high-quality products with speed, value, and exceptional execution, making Dreamwear a trusted partner to many of the world's leading retailers. Learn more at dreamwear.com/our-brands.

Our Design team sets the trend, color, and style direction for our seasonal and customer-driven collections, translating market insights and brand direction into compelling product concepts. The team develops color stories, mood boards, CADs, and presentations for internal and customer reviews, then partners cross-functionally to oversee their designs through sample development and production.

We are seeking a Freelance Assistant Designer with an exceptional eye for color to support seasonal color research, palette development, and color execution across our entire brand portfolio. This role will help translate emerging trends into commercially relevant color stories, while also providing broader design support for our junior brands and accounts as workload allows. This freelance opportunity has the potential to evolve into a full-time role but for now, our expectation is that you are able to work in our midtown office Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is passionate about color, trend, and fashion, and wants hands-on exposure across multiple brands in a leading intimates company. The ideal candidate has a strong eye for color; the ability to align aesthetically across multiple brands; meticulous attention to detail; and the ability to stay organized and responsive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven design environment.

Job Responsibilities:

• Research current and emerging color, fashion, lifestyle, beauty, runway, and retail trends to identify relevant seasonal direction and inspiration for individual brands and customers.
• Assist in developing physical and digital color palettes, color stories, mood boards, trend boards, and presentation materials for concept development, internal reviews, and customer meetings.
• Create and update color presentations, palettes, and supporting materials based on team feedback, maintaining accuracy, consistency, and alignment with each brand.
• Support color matching and color selection across teams, with close attention to consistency against established brand standards.
• Maintain organized physical and digital color resources, including color racks, the sample room, swatches, standards, color libraries, and reference files; assist with Pantone and Coloro standards as needed.
• Provide additional design support for junior brands and accounts as workload allows, including CAD updates, technical flat sketches, colorway development, and preparation of presentation-ready design materials.
• Partner closely with Designers and cross-functional teams to keep color and design projects organized, communicate updates, and ensure key deadlines are met.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. Duties and responsibilities may be changed or modified at any time at the discretion of management.

Qualifications:

• Degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Color, or a related field preferred, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Previous internship or 1-2 years of relevant experience in apparel design, textiles, color, or a related fashion environment preferred.
• Exceptional eye for color and a foundational understanding of color theory, with the ability to distinguish subtle variations in shades and undertones.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop; demonstrated experience creating CADs, colorways, palettes, and presentation materials preferred.
• Familiarity with Pantone and Coloro systems is a plus.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to maintain both physical and digital color and design resources accurately.
• Must possess strong communication skills with consistent follow-through.
• Ability to take direction, incorporate feedback and manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, collaborative, and eager to learn, with a genuine passion for fashion, color, and trend.
• Must be able to work in our Midtown Manhattan office.