Freelance Technical Designer (Soft Wovens – Womens and Unisex)
Employment Type: Freelance
Category Focus: Soft Wovens – Womens and Unisex (with strong emphasis on dresses)
Duration: Up to 1 year (with potential for ongoing freelance hours)
Location: Onsite 5 days
Luxury client is seeking an experienced Freelance Technical Designer specializing in soft wovens for womens and unisex product. This role will focus heavily on woven dresses and needs someone deeply fluent in the standards, fit, and construction expectations of designer-level brands. You will work closely with design, product development, and sourcing to translate creative concepts into technically sound, production-ready garments that meet Alexander Wang’s aesthetic and quality benchmarks.
This is an urgent hire for a key category; we are looking for someone who can commit to partnering with us over the course of a full year, with hours per week to be determined based on business needs.
Key Responsibilities
- Technical Development & Execution
- Lead the technical development of soft woven womens and unisex styles, with a strong focus on dresses (day, evening, and occasion).
- Create, update, and maintain detailed technical packages (tech packs) including construction details, callouts, BOMs, and graded measurement specs.
- Translate design sketches, inspiration, and draped concepts into accurate flat sketches and technical specifications suitable for sample rooms and factories.
- Ensure all garments meet designer brand standards for quality, finish, proportion, and fit.
- Fit Process & Sample Review
- Lead and/or participate in fit sessions on live models and/or mannequins; take clear, detailed notes for revisions.
- Assess fit, balance, proportion, and wearability for womens and unisex soft wovens, especially dresses, tops, and bottoms.
- Issue precise pattern and construction corrections to vendors and pattern makers.
- Track and manage all fit comments across multiple rounds of protos, SMS, PPS, and TOPs to ensure continuous improvement and consistency.
- Pattern, Construction & Fabric
- Work closely with internal and external pattern makers to achieve desired silhouettes and drape in soft wovens.
- Propose and validate construction methods suitable for delicate and fluid woven fabrics (e.g., linings, seam finishes, closures, interfacings).
- Anticipate how different woven fabrications will affect fit and construction (shrinkage, skew, torque, stability, and drape) and adjust specs accordingly.
- Ensure all construction details are in line with premium/designer quality expectations and brand identity.
- Collaboration & Cross-Functional Partnership
- Partner closely with design to preserve the aesthetic vision while ensuring technical feasibility and production efficiency.
- Collaborate with product development, production, and overseas vendors to resolve issues quickly and maintain calendar deadlines.
- Communicate clearly and consistently with factories, providing detailed corrections, diagrams, and reference images where necessary.
- Support the team with technical problem-solving for new construction techniques, complex drapes, and special details.
- Process, Standards & Calendar
- Maintain organized records of specs, comments, approvals, and versions for each style.
- Ensure all technical deliverables meet seasonal milestones and align with the development and production calendars.
- Help refine and uphold Alexander Wang’s internal technical standards for soft woven product and contribute to best practices documentation.
Required Qualifications
- MUST understand designer brands – direct experience working with high-end, luxury, or advanced contemporary labels is required.
- 5+ years as a Technical Designer in women’s apparel, with a proven focus on soft wovens (dresses strongly preferred).
- Demonstrated expertise in womens and unisex fit, including graded specs, blocks, and size standards.
- Advanced proficiency in:
- Creating and managing detailed tech packs (PLM or Excel-based systems).
- Flat sketching (Adobe Illustrator or equivalent).
- Measurement, grading, and fit evaluation.
- Strong knowledge of garment construction, sewing, and pattern-making principles specifically for wovens (including bias cuts, intricate seaming, and complex drapes).
- Proven ability to manage multiple styles and deadlines in a fast-paced designer environment.
- Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills for interaction with both internal teams and overseas vendors.
