Handmade Clothing Designer (Volunteer)

Handmade Clothing Designer (Volunteer)
PromiseBrands | Fashion, Textile Design & Artisan Production
Organization:

Mentor A Promise (MAP)
Division:

PromiseBrands
Location:

Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed
Type:

Volunteer Creative Role
Commitment:

Approximately

5–10 hours per week
Minimum Commitment:

6-month commitment required
Works Closely With:

Fashion Creative Director, Fashion & Textile Designers, Patternmakers, Sewing and Production Team, Product Designers, Models, and PromiseBrands Leadership
About Mentor A Promise
Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, education, social-emotional learning, creative expression, storytelling, and community-centered opportunity.
Through PromiseBrands, MAP explores how

design, craftsmanship, culture, sustainability, and creativity

can come together to create meaningful products and experiences while supporting our broader mission.
About PromiseBrands
PromiseBrands is MAP’s

brand, fashion, product, design, and creative experience division .
Our fashion work brings together designers, makers, craftspeople, and other creatives interested in developing original pieces with attention to craftsmanship, materials, storytelling, and responsible design.
We believe handmade clothing has a particular value: every piece reflects the

time, skill, creativity, and human hands behind its creation.
Role Overview
Mentor A Promise is seeking talented

Handmade Clothing Designers

to help design and create original garments and textile pieces for PromiseBrands.
We are especially interested in designers and makers skilled in traditional and contemporary handcraft techniques, including:
Hand knitting
Crochet
Sewing
Embroidery
Weaving
Quilting
Hand embellishment
Textile manipulation
Upcycling and reconstruction
Other garment-making and textile crafts
The Handmade Clothing Designer will have opportunities to develop original concepts, experiment with materials and techniques, create prototypes and finished pieces, and collaborate with MAP’s broader fashion and creative teams.
We welcome both

experienced designers and highly skilled independent makers and artisans

whose expertise may have been developed outside traditional fashion-industry pathways.
Key Responsibilities
Handmade Garment Design & Creation
Design and create original handmade garments, accessories, and textile pieces.
Translate sketches, concepts, mood boards, or creative direction into physical designs.
Select appropriate yarns, fabrics, fibers, trims, and other materials.
Apply handcraft techniques with strong attention to construction, durability, fit, and finish.
Create prototypes, samples, and finished pieces.
Explore new combinations of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design.
Maintain high standards of quality throughout the making process.
Creative Development
Develop original garment concepts individually and collaboratively.
Contribute ideas for collections, capsule projects, special pieces, and creative experiments.
Participate in design reviews and creative discussions.
Research relevant materials, techniques, craftsmanship traditions, and design references.
Experiment with color, texture, silhouette, pattern, construction, and material.
Help develop pieces with a recognizable creative identity rather than simply reproducing existing designs.
Craftsmanship & Responsible Design
Champion the value of handmade and small-scale production.
Explore responsible sourcing, durability, repairability, reuse, and waste reduction.
Help identify opportunities to incorporate reclaimed, repurposed, or responsibly sourced materials.
Document construction techniques when appropriate so successful designs can be understood or reproduced.
Respect the cultural origins and histories of traditional textile and garment-making techniques.
Collaboration
Work with Fashion Creative Directors and designers to develop cohesive concepts.
Collaborate with patternmakers, sewists, textile designers, product developers, and other makers.
Participate in fittings and make appropriate garment adjustments.
Work with models when evaluating fit, movement, comfort, and presentation.
Collaborate with

PromiseStudios

when photography, film, or other visual production is needed to document completed work.
Share knowledge and techniques with other members of the creative team.
Artisan & Craft Traditions
PromiseBrands is particularly interested in building a creative community that respects the knowledge held by craftspeople.
We recognize that expertise does not always come from a design school or traditional fashion career.
A person who has spent years knitting, sewing, crocheting, embroidering, weaving, tailoring, or practicing another textile craft may possess extraordinary technical and creative knowledge.
We want to create space for that expertise.
At the same time, PromiseBrands seeks to approach culturally rooted craft traditions responsibly—learning their histories, appropriately recognizing their origins, and avoiding the careless appropriation or misrepresentation of traditional designs and techniques.
Ideal Candidate
Strong candidates may bring experience in:
Handmade fashion
Fashion design
Knitwear
Crochet
Sewing or tailoring
Textile design
Embroidery
Weaving
Quilting
Fiber arts
Patternmaking
Upcycling
Costume construction
Artisan or traditional crafts
Formal fashion education is

not required .
We value demonstrated craftsmanship, creativity, curiosity, reliability, and willingness to collaborate.
Strong candidates will demonstrate:
Skill in at least one garment-making or textile craft
Strong attention to detail and finishing
Understanding of garment construction
Creative and conceptual thinking
Ability to interpret creative direction
Appreciation for materials and craftsmanship
Willingness to experiment and learn
Ability to complete projects reliably
Respect for other designers' ideas and intellectual contributions
Commitment to responsible and collaborative creative practice
Alignment with MAP’s mission and values
What Success Looks Like
Success means PromiseBrands develops handmade work that feels

intentional rather than mass-produced, contemporary without losing respect for craft, and creative without sacrificing quality.
Designers bring their own ideas and techniques to the team.
Craft knowledge is shared and preserved.
Materials are selected thoughtfully.
Finished pieces demonstrate care in both concept and construction.
And the people who actually make the work are recognized as an essential part of the creative process.
Why This Role Matters
Before clothing became an industry, it was a craft.
Someone selected the fiber.
Someone developed the technique.
Someone cut, stitched, knitted, woven, embroidered, repaired, and passed knowledge from one generation to another.
PromiseBrands wants to preserve that human connection while exploring what handmade fashion can become today.
Bring your craft. Bring your imagination. Make something that carries the unmistakable evidence of human hands.
Commitment
Approximately

5–10 hours per week
Minimum 6-month commitment required
Remote design collaboration with NYC-based opportunities as needed
Reliable participation in project and design meetings
Timely communication and follow-through
Ability to meet agreed creative and production timelines
What You’ll Gain
Opportunity to develop original handmade fashion and textile projects
Collaboration with designers, creative directors, models, makers, and other creative professionals
Portfolio-building opportunities and appropriate creative credit
Experience developing work from concept through finished garment
Opportunities to experiment with materials and traditional and contemporary techniques
Professional references and letters of recommendation
Opportunity to help build the handmade and artisan design practice within PromiseBrands
How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit:
Resume or brief description of relevant experience
Portfolio, photographs, or examples of handmade work
Brief statement of interest
Applicants are encouraged to identify the techniques they specialize in—such as knitting, crochet, sewing, embroidery, weaving, tailoring, quilting, upcycling, or other textile crafts.
A formal fashion background is not required. Exceptional craft speaks for itself.
Help us bring together

craftsmanship, creativity, culture, and purpose—one piece at a time.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Mentor A Promise. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these requirements.