Description
Design and develop woven, knit, and printed textiles for apparel, home, and industrial products. Combine artistic vision with research on fibers, dyes, finishes, and manufacturing to deliver functional, cost-effective, and marketable fabric designs and collections.
- • Create original prints, patterns, weaves, and knits using CAD and hand techniques.
- • Build repeat layouts, colorways, and technical artwork for production.
- • Develop tech packs, specs, and loom/print cards for mills and vendors.
- • Request and evaluate lab dips, strike-offs, and handlooms; approve to standard.
- • Refine designs based on end-use needs, mill capabilities, and customer feedback.
- • Plan cohesive seasonal fabric collections, palettes, and trim stories.
- • Collaborate with merchandising, product development, sourcing, and mills to define concepts and requirements.
- • Present trend boards, palettes, and swatch ranges; capture feedback and revisions.
- • Assess feasibility, cost, and performance considering fiber, construction, finish, and production methods.
- • Research materials, dyes, finishes, and processes; generate cost estimates and minimums.
- • Design jacquard, dobby, and print motifs for apparel, home, and technical textiles.
- • Partner with mills to optimize weave/knit structures, print methods, and finishing for quality and efficiency.
- • Supervise assistants, freelancers, and vendors throughout the design cycle.
- • Handcraft prototype swatches via dyeing, screen printing, weaving, or knitting as needed.
- • Test fabrics for colorfastness, shrinkage, pilling, flammability, and durability; document results.
- • Establish internal color standards and libraries; ensure compliance with regulatory and sustainability requirements.
- • Support market research and line planning by analyzing trends, trade shows, and competitive fabrics.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
