Portland-based luxury apparel production company seeking an experienced sample maker to cut and sew prototype garments in-house. This is a direct hire, we're looking for an individual, not a production house or service company.
What we're making:
Jackets, shirts, pants, and hoodies in a range of materials, including woven and knit. Think elevated streetwear with luxury-grade construction and finishing. No leather work at this point.
What you'd be doing:
Cutting and sewing first samples and prototypes from tech packs and flat patterns
Sewing muslins/toiles and iterating based on fit sessions
Recommending construction methods appropriate to the design and fabric
Pressing as you sew (this matters to us)
Flagging spec or construction issues before they become expensive problems
What we're looking for:
3+ years of sample sewing or product development sewing experience on industrial machines
Comfortable working from a tech pack and spec sheet, not just commercial patterns
Confident with a range of fabrics: fleece, french terry, twill, wool, silk, poplin, canvas, jersey
Proficient on single-needle lockstitch, overlock, and coverstitch machines
Clean interior finishing. French seams, bound seams, proper seam allowance management
Understanding of garment construction order and why it matters
Reliable, detail-oriented, and able to communicate openly about what's working and what isn't
Nice to have (not required):
Experience with pattern making or pattern adjustments
Walking foot machine experience for heavier outerwear construction
Familiarity with grading and size specs
Your own industrial machines (open to discussing workspace and equipment arrangements)
About us:
We're a small, growing apparel production company providing technical development and production support in the fashion space. We work with emerging designers and luxury labels, and care deeply about craftsmanship and getting the details right. This role starts as contract work with consistent, ongoing projects and potential to grow into a longer-term position.
To apply:
Send us a brief intro and your relevant experience. If you have photos of garments you've constructed (especially interiors/finishing), we'd love to see them. We'll ask finalists to sew a paid test sample so we can evaluate fit and construction quality in person.
Portland / metro area only. In-person work required.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.