Freelance Women’s Apparel Designer

Lightwell; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 90,000; Part time

Job summary

An innovative fashion brand is seeking a talented Freelance Women’s Apparel Designer to help create a sustainable luxury capsule collection. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with the founder, translating vision into reality through hands-on design, prototyping, and production oversight. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in fashion design, a strong grasp of the design-to-sample pipeline, and proficiency in design software. If you're passionate about shaping the future of fashion and thrive in a collaborative environment, this project-based role could be the perfect fit for you.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of experience in fashion design and product development.
• Fluent in the full design-to-sample pipeline.
• Strong organizational skills and detail-oriented.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on creative direction and collection planning.
• Develop patterns and oversee fittings for refinement.
• Manage sampling process and coordinate with sample makers.

Skills

Fashion Design

Product Development

Pattern Making

Technical Specifications

Adobe Illustrator

Organizational Skills

Problem Solving

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Job description

Freelance Women’s Apparel Designer

About the Role
We are building a new sustainable luxury fashion brand, focused on exceptional design, quality, craftsmanship, and functional innovation, and we’re looking for a freelance designer to help bring our first capsule collection to life. This is a hands-on, full-spectrum role: from concept sketching and prototyping to pattern making, sample development, and final production. This role is ideal for someone who is excited by the idea of an early-stage environment and wants to shape something special behind the scenes.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate directly with founder on creative direction, moodboards, and collection planning
• Translate the brand’s vision and founder’s ideas into a launch capsule collection, including initial sketches, tech packs, and prototypes
• Develop patterns and oversee fittings to refine silhouettes and construction
• Own the sampling process end-to-end: manage timeline, coordinate with sample makers, and ensure highest quality, fit, and consistency
• Partner with thefounder in liaising with overseas fabric mills, trims suppliers, and dye houses

Experience

• Have 5 to 10 years of experience in fashion design and product development in women’s apparel
• Are fluent in the full design-to-sample pipeline — not just sketching, but pattern work, technical specs, and production coordination
• Have strong organizational skills, are detail-oriented, timeline-conscious, and can drive execution while working flexibly across time zones
• Enjoy problem solving and finding creative solutions with the founder and helping her bring her vision to life
• Bring a flexible attitude to every challenge
• Are proficient in Adobe Illustrator or other design software for sketches and spec sheets
• Nice, but not a must have: Knowledge of sustainable materials and fabrication

Scope & Timing

• Freelance / project-based (potential for ongoing work)
• Immediate start preferred (June 2025)
• Primarily remote/Work-from-home, with in-person presence as needed to review samples and collaborate with founder and team in New York City

This is a project-based role initially scoped as a 6-month contract for part-time support, focused on supporting the brand from sketch to sample. There is potential for extension or conversion to a permanent role depending on business needs.

Compensation will be determined based on experience.