Fashion Designer Technical Sewing Specialist

Fashion Designer / Technical Sewing Specialist

Position Overview

We are seeking a talented and detail-oriented individual to assist with textile product design, patternmaking, sewing, prototyping, and technical garment construction.

This position combines traditional fashion design and apparel construction skills with emerging technologies in smart textiles, wearable electronics, and robotics.

You will work with engineers and product developers to design, cut, sew, assemble, and refine textile-based prototypes.

Projects may include specialized gloves, flexible robotic coverings, sensor-integrated fabrics, wearable devices, technical garments, and other innovative textile products.

This is a highly hands-on position. We are particularly interested in candidates who enjoy working directly with fabrics, sewing machines, patterns, and physical prototypes.

Candidates with strong sewing and patternmaking abilities are especially encouraged to apply, even without an engineering background.

Key Responsibilities

Design, develop, and construct textile-based prototypes and technical garments.

Create and modify sewing patterns for custom shapes, fitted garments, gloves, and specialized textile products.

Operate industrial and domestic sewing machines, sergers, and other textile equipment.

Cut, sew, assemble, and finish fabric components with precision.

Work with stretch fabrics, knits, woven materials, elastic textiles, and specialty technical fabrics.

Develop prototypes based on sketches, engineering drawings, physical measurements, or CAD models.

Perform fitting, sizing, and pattern adjustments to improve product functionality.

Collaborate with engineers to incorporate sensors, wires, electronics, and other functional components into textile structures.

Evaluate stitching quality, seam construction, durability, fit, and manufacturing consistency.

Experiment with different fabric materials, seam types, and construction techniques.

Document patterns, construction methods, and prototype revisions.

Assist with small-batch manufacturing and preparation of production-ready textile designs.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree, certificate, or training in:

Fashion Design

Apparel Design

Textile Design

Fashion Technology

Patternmaking

Costume Design

Industrial Sewing

Product Design

Related creative or technical disciplines

Formal education is not required for applicants with demonstrated sewing, patternmaking, or garment construction experience.

Technical Skills

Experience in one or more of the following areas is preferred:

Industrial or domestic sewing machine operation.

Garment construction and technical sewing.

Flat patternmaking, draping, and pattern modification.

Working with stretch fabrics, spandex, knits, and technical textiles.

Creating fitted garments, gloves, accessories, or complex fabric shapes.

Industrial sergers, coverstitch machines, or specialized sewing equipment.

Digital patternmaking software such as CLO 3D, Gerber AccuMark, Optitex, or Adobe Illustrator.

Fabric cutting, material selection, seam finishing, and textile assembly.

Prototype development, fitting, and iterative design.

Basic experience with embroidery machines or automated textile equipment.

Experience with wearable technology, smart textiles, soft robotics, or electronics integration is beneficial but not required.

You do not need to know robotics or electronics to succeed in this position. We are looking for individuals who bring strong textile construction and creative problem-solving skills to an interdisciplinary engineering environment.

Current Project Areas

Depending on individual skills and interests, candidates may contribute to several development areas.

Robotic Gloves and Flexible Sensor Skins

Designing and constructing precisely fitted textile structures for robotic hands, fingers, and mechanical surfaces.

These projects require creative patternmaking, careful material selection, and the ability to construct complex three-dimensional shapes from flexible fabrics.

Smart Garments and Wearable Electronics

Developing textile products that incorporate flexible sensors, conductive materials, electronic components, and specialized stitching techniques.

Technical Textile Prototyping

Creating custom textile components, experimental fabric assemblies, and functional products for research and industrial applications.

Advanced Sewing and Manufacturing

Developing repeatable construction methods, improving sewing processes, preparing production patterns, and supporting the transition from handmade prototypes to small-batch manufacturing.

What Makes This Opportunity Different

Unlike a traditional fashion design position focused on seasonal clothing collections, this role applies fashion design and sewing skills to emerging engineering applications.

You will have opportunities to:

Design textile products for robotics and wearable technologies.

Work with unique materials, sensors, and specialized fabrics.

Collaborate directly with engineers and researchers.

Turn original concepts into functional physical prototypes.

Gain experience using industrial embroidery and advanced textile manufacturing equipment.

Experiment with unconventional garment shapes, construction methods, and textile applications.

Participate in the development of products that combine fabric, electronics, and mechanical systems.

This position offers a combination of creative design, practical sewing, problem-solving, and technical product development.

Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate enjoys making things and has strong practical sewing skills.

You may be a good fit if you have experience designing and sewing your own clothing, creating costumes, developing patterns, working in a tailoring shop, producing custom garments, or completing fashion design projects.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can take a concept or sketch and independently turn it into a well-constructed physical product.

Attention to detail, accuracy, patience, and comfort working with unfamiliar materials are important.

A portfolio of completed sewing projects, patterns, garments, costumes, or textile prototypes is more important than a particular degree.

Students, recent graduates, self-taught designers, and experienced sewing professionals are all encouraged to apply.

Work Location

Arachne Labs LLC
46 Maple Ave
Schenectady, NY 12302

This is an on-site position involving direct use of sewing equipment, textile machinery, fabrics, and physical prototypes.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume through Handshake.

We strongly encourage applicants to include photographs or a portfolio showing examples of garments, sewing projects, patterns, costumes, accessories, or textile products they have personally designed or constructed.

Selected applicants will be invited to visit our Schenectady facility, meet the team, and see our textile manufacturing and engineering equipment.

Interview scheduling: https://cal.com/textile

We welcome applicants who are interested in applying traditional fashion and sewing skills to innovative products and emerging technologies.