Design Operations Intern
Proper Cloth, New York, NY, United States
We're looking for a design intern to join our product team for the summer and keep our design studio running smoothly. The most important part of this role is organization — making sure our physical and digital workspaces are in great shape so the design team can move fast and focus on the creative work. You'll also get meaningful exposure to how a modern luxury menswear brand develops product, from fabric selection through to the finished collection.
This is a hands‑on, operations-driven role within a design team — ideal for someone who is highly organized but also genuinely interested in product, materials, and construction. You won't be observing from a distance — you'll be embedded in a working design team during one of our busiest development periods (SS27 Collection Developments, FW26 Collection Launch).
Core Responsibilities
Studio & Sample Organization (Primary Focus)
Maintain and organize the physical design studio: fabric swatches, sample garments, trim libraries (buttons, snaps, hardware), reference garments, and mood board materials
Build and maintain a clear system for tracking incoming samples — log arrivals, photograph and tag samples, file by season/category/status
Organize and archive fabric swatch libraries by mill, season, and category so the team can pull references quickly during fabric appointments and design reviews
Keep the sample closet current — ensuring approved samples are accessible, archived seasons are properly stored, and returns/sends are tracked
Digital Organization & Support
Support the ClickUp line sheet by adding swatch images, updating product status fields, and ensuring entries have complete data (pricing, arrival dates, supplier info, SKU counts)
Document all existing Proper Cloth Design Details for digital library and reference documents
Take photos to document design and construction of reference samples (inside, outside, collars, cuffs, hems, linings, etc.) for future design references
Design Support
Assist with fabric appointment prep — pulling relevant swatches, organizing competitive references, and preparing mood boards
Help prep design reviews and concept presentations with organized visual materials
Support the team with ad hoc tasks during FW26 production and SS27 concepting: measurement documentation, photography coordination, competitive shopping, and fabric sourcing research
What You’ll Learn
How a menswear brand develops product from concept through production — the full lifecycle across shirts, pants, knitwear, and outerwear
Fabric knowledge: mills, weaves, cotton types, yarn construction, finishing treatments — the technical language of quality menswear
How design systems work in practice: named models, construction hierarchies, and how individual design choices express brand positioning
PLM and collection management using ClickUp, Miro, and industry-standard tools
How a small, high-output design team balances creative ambition with production discipline
Who You Are
Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in fashion design, textile design, merchandising, or a related field
Highly organized and detail-oriented — you're the person who keeps track of everything and builds and maintains systems that actually work
Comfortable with both physical and digital organization — equally at home filing fabric swatches and managing project management software
Genuine interest in menswear, fabric, and product quality — you don't have to be an expert, but curiosity matters
Self-starter who can see what needs doing without being told — in a small studio, initiative and proactivity is everything
Exposure to ClickUp or PLM, Miro, Google Workspace, or similar tools (or a fast learner)
Bonus: experience with Clo3D, Adobe Creative Suite, or garment measurement/tech packs
Details
Location: NYC office in SoHo
Schedule: Mon‑Thurs, late May through Labor Day (~14 weeks)
Compensation: $24.00/hr + $20/day lunch credit
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This is a hands‑on, operations-driven role within a design team — ideal for someone who is highly organized but also genuinely interested in product, materials, and construction. You won't be observing from a distance — you'll be embedded in a working design team during one of our busiest development periods (SS27 Collection Developments, FW26 Collection Launch).
Core Responsibilities
Studio & Sample Organization (Primary Focus)
Maintain and organize the physical design studio: fabric swatches, sample garments, trim libraries (buttons, snaps, hardware), reference garments, and mood board materials
Build and maintain a clear system for tracking incoming samples — log arrivals, photograph and tag samples, file by season/category/status
Organize and archive fabric swatch libraries by mill, season, and category so the team can pull references quickly during fabric appointments and design reviews
Keep the sample closet current — ensuring approved samples are accessible, archived seasons are properly stored, and returns/sends are tracked
Digital Organization & Support
Support the ClickUp line sheet by adding swatch images, updating product status fields, and ensuring entries have complete data (pricing, arrival dates, supplier info, SKU counts)
Document all existing Proper Cloth Design Details for digital library and reference documents
Take photos to document design and construction of reference samples (inside, outside, collars, cuffs, hems, linings, etc.) for future design references
Design Support
Assist with fabric appointment prep — pulling relevant swatches, organizing competitive references, and preparing mood boards
Help prep design reviews and concept presentations with organized visual materials
Support the team with ad hoc tasks during FW26 production and SS27 concepting: measurement documentation, photography coordination, competitive shopping, and fabric sourcing research
What You’ll Learn
How a menswear brand develops product from concept through production — the full lifecycle across shirts, pants, knitwear, and outerwear
Fabric knowledge: mills, weaves, cotton types, yarn construction, finishing treatments — the technical language of quality menswear
How design systems work in practice: named models, construction hierarchies, and how individual design choices express brand positioning
PLM and collection management using ClickUp, Miro, and industry-standard tools
How a small, high-output design team balances creative ambition with production discipline
Who You Are
Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in fashion design, textile design, merchandising, or a related field
Highly organized and detail-oriented — you're the person who keeps track of everything and builds and maintains systems that actually work
Comfortable with both physical and digital organization — equally at home filing fabric swatches and managing project management software
Genuine interest in menswear, fabric, and product quality — you don't have to be an expert, but curiosity matters
Self-starter who can see what needs doing without being told — in a small studio, initiative and proactivity is everything
Exposure to ClickUp or PLM, Miro, Google Workspace, or similar tools (or a fast learner)
Bonus: experience with Clo3D, Adobe Creative Suite, or garment measurement/tech packs
Details
Location: NYC office in SoHo
Schedule: Mon‑Thurs, late May through Labor Day (~14 weeks)
Compensation: $24.00/hr + $20/day lunch credit
#J-18808-Ljbffr