Fashion Designer & Tech Pack Specialist for Australian Maternity & Breastfeeding Brand

# Fashion Designer & Tech Pack Specialist for Australian Maternity & Breastfeeding Brand

**Remote | Freelance / Ongoing Work**

Sōma Society is a new Australian maternity and breastfeeding fashion brand creating elevated clothing designed for pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond.

Our philosophy is fashion first. We want to create beautiful, contemporary womenswear that women genuinely want to wear, with discreet pregnancy and breastfeeding functionality thoughtfully incorporated into the design.

**For the body that nurtures.**

We are looking for a talented **Fashion Designer / Technical Apparel Designer** to work with us on an ongoing basis developing collections, original garment designs, textile prints and detailed factory ready tech packs.

This is not simply a tech pack role.

We are looking for someone who can contribute creatively to the design process while also having the technical knowledge required to turn an idea into a garment that can actually be manufactured.

## Creative Direction, Research & Mood Boards

We want someone who can help us develop the creative direction for future Sōma Society collections.

Depending on the project, this may include:

• Creating collection and garment mood boards
• Researching current and emerging fashion trends
• Researching silhouettes, garment details and construction ideas
• Developing colour palettes
• Exploring fabric and textile directions
• Researching trims, buttons, zippers and hardware
• Gathering visual references and inspiration
• Developing initial garment concepts from a creative brief
• Suggesting discreet pregnancy and breastfeeding functionality
• Helping ensure garments within a collection feel cohesive
• Translating approved concepts into original Sōma Society designs

Mood boards should communicate a strong visual direction while allowing the final garments to remain original Sōma Society designs rather than copies of existing products.

## Garment Design

Our collections may include:

• Dresses
• Tops and T shirts
• Matching sets
• Shorts and pants
• Knitwear and sweaters
• Maternity friendly pieces
• Breastfeeding specific garments
• Other contemporary womenswear

You should be comfortable designing garments incorporating more technical features such as:

• Discreet breastfeeding access
• Concealed and invisible zippers
• Shirring
• Elasticated construction
• Stretch fabrics
• Pregnancy friendly silhouettes
• Contrast panels
• Piping
• Custom trims
• Buttons and hardware
• Double lining
• Internal nursing functionality
• Strategic elastic placement
• Natural and organic fabrics

A strong understanding of **garment construction** is essential.

We particularly value someone who can look at a fashion concept and work out how breastfeeding access or pregnancy functionality can be incorporated without compromising the appearance of the garment.

## Tech Pack Development

You must be experienced in producing **detailed, accurate and factory ready tech packs**.

Depending on the garment, tech packs should include:

• Professional front and back technical flats
• Detailed construction drawings
• Close up drawings of important features
• Full Bill of Materials (BOM)
• Fabric specifications
• Fabric composition
• Fabric weight/GSM where applicable
• Trims and hardware specifications
• Zipper type, length and placement
• Elastic specifications
• Stitching and seam construction
• Labels and branding placement
• Colourways and colour references
• Points of Measure (POM)
• Accurate garment measurements
• Size charts
• Size grading
• Measurement tolerances
• Construction notes
• Print and pattern specifications where applicable
• Packaging or labelling specifications where required

Our manufacturers should be able to receive the tech pack and clearly understand **exactly how the garment is intended to be made** with minimal ambiguity.

Accuracy is extremely important.

## Textile & Print Design

We also want someone capable of creating original textile artwork and production ready print files.

This may include:

• Seamless repeat patterns
• Custom repeatable prints
• Placement prints
• Border prints
• Stripes and other repeating designs
• Print scale and positioning specifications
• Multiple colourways
• Production ready artwork for fabric printing

You should understand the difference between repeat, engineered and placement prints and know how to communicate scale, positioning and colour requirements to textile and garment manufacturers.

## Textile, Fabric & Trim Research

Sōma Society has a strong preference for **natural fibres wherever practical**.

This includes materials such as organic cotton, cotton, linen, wool and other suitable natural fibres.

You may assist us with researching and sourcing:

• Fabrics suitable for specific garment designs
• Organic and certified fabrics
• Fabric composition and GSM
• Stretch requirements
• Shirring compatible fabrics
• Linings
• Elastic
• Piping
• Concealed and invisible zippers
• Buttons
• Labels
• Custom trims
• Hardware
• Textile printing options

We are looking for someone who can consider both the appearance **and technical suitability** of a textile.

For example, if a particular design requires stretch, shirring, structure, drape or recovery, you should be able to help identify appropriate fabric specifications.

Experience communicating with fabric suppliers, textile mills or garment manufacturers would be highly regarded.

## Working With Manufacturers

We already work directly with overseas garment manufacturers.

Ideally, you will be comfortable assisting throughout the development process, including:

**Concept → Mood Board → Design → Tech Pack → Sampling → Fit Review → Revisions → Production**

This may involve reviewing manufacturer questions, updating specifications after sampling and helping solve construction issues that arise during development.

## Skills We're Looking For

You should have:

• Professional fashion or technical apparel design experience
• Strong Adobe Illustrator skills
• Excellent technical drawing skills
• Strong knowledge of garment construction
• Experience creating complete factory ready tech packs
• Experience creating BOMs and POM/specification sheets
• Knowledge of garment measurements and size grading
• Experience specifying fabrics, trims, zippers, elastic and hardware
• Ability to develop original garments from a creative brief
• Ability to create mood boards and collection concepts
• Ability to create seamless repeat and placement prints
• Understanding of textile properties and garment manufacturing
• Strong attention to detail
• Good written English
• Ability to work collaboratively through sampling and revisions

Experience in **womenswear, maternity, breastfeeding, resort wear or contemporary fashion** would be particularly valuable.

## Budget & Rates

We are looking for an ongoing designer rather than someone for a single project. We expect to develop multiple garments and collections over time.

Our approximate target budgets are:

**Original garment design + complete factory ready tech pack**
Approximately **US$50–100 per style**, depending on complexity.

**Mood board / initial collection design direction**
Approximately **US$5–15**

**Simple seamless repeat pattern**
Approximately **US$10–20**

**Detailed placement print / textile artwork**
Approximately **US$20–40**

**Textile, fabric and trim research/sourcing**
Can be quoted hourly or incorporated into the relevant design project.

These are guides rather than strict limits. More complicated garments or projects can be discussed individually.

We are interested in both **hourly and fixed project pricing**.

## What to Include in Your Application

Please focus on showing us your actual work rather than sending a long cover letter.

### 1. Tech Pack Portfolio

Please provide examples of **complete tech packs you have personally created**.

We specifically want to see examples containing:

• Technical flats
• BOM
• POM and measurement specifications
• Size grading
• Construction details
• Fabric and trim specifications

Please do not submit only fashion illustrations.

### 2. Fashion Design Portfolio

Please show examples of original garments you have personally designed.

Where possible, we would particularly like to see:

**Mood Board → Original Design → Tech Pack → Finished Manufactured Garment**

### 3. Mood Boards

Please provide examples of fashion or collection mood boards you have personally created.

We would like to see how you take inspiration and develop it into a cohesive original design direction.

### 4. Textile & Print Design

Please provide examples of any:

• Seamless repeat patterns
• Placement prints
• Border prints
• Custom textile designs

that you have personally created.

### 5. Textile & Sourcing Experience

Please briefly explain any experience you have researching or sourcing fabrics, trims, zippers, elastic, hardware or other garment components.

### 6. Software

Please tell us which software you use for:

• Fashion design
• Technical drawings
• Tech packs
• Mood boards
• Textile and print design
• Measurement specifications and grading

### 7. Your Rates & Typical Time Required

Please provide both your **hourly rate and typical fixed project rates**.

Please complete the following:

**Hourly rate:** US$___ / hour

**Typical time required for one complete garment design + tech pack:** ___ hours / days

**Fixed price for one complete garment design + tech pack:** US$___

**Fixed price for a mood board / collection design direction:** US$___

**Fixed price for a simple seamless repeat pattern:** US$___

**Fixed price for a placement print:** US$___

**Rate for textile and trim sourcing/research:** US$___

Please also tell us how many rounds of revisions are included in your fixed pricing.

### 8. Manufacturer Experience

Please briefly describe your experience working directly with garment manufacturers and making changes to designs or tech packs during sampling.

If you have experience working with manufacturers in China or other international manufacturing markets, please let us know.

## About the Relationship

We are looking for someone we can build a **long term working relationship with** as Sōma Society grows.

The right person may become involved across future collections from the earliest creative concepts and mood boards through to technical development, sampling and production.

We value creativity, technical accuracy, reliability and someone who genuinely enjoys developing beautiful womenswear.

Please begin your application with **“Sōma Society”** so we know you have read the complete listing.