Would You Take This Job – Assistant Product Designer (Fashion Development)

Job Title: Assistant Product Designer — Fashion Development

Company: Fashion Nova

Location: Beverly Hills, CA

Schedule: Full-time

Salary: Not listed on the public posting (see the employer link below for details)

What You’ll Do:
Support product development from concept through production: create tech packs and garment specs, assist with trend research and seasonal line planning, communicate with vendors and factories, review fit samples and lab dips, prepare line presentations, and help keep the development calendar on track. This role balances creative input with technical accuracy and vendor coordination.

Required Qualifications (high level):

  • Experience in apparel product development or technical design (internship or 1–3 years preferred).

  • Ability to produce clear tech packs and read/interpret garment construction.

  • Familiarity with Adobe Illustrator, PLM or tech-pack tools, and strong attention to detail.

  • Good communication skills for vendor and cross-functional collaboration.

Why it’s unique:
Work at a high-volume, trend-driven fast-fashion company where development cycles move quickly—great for designers who like rapid turnaround, close vendor interaction, and seeing designs go from sketch to shelf quickly.

Here is the link to view more job details or apply.

Would You Take This Job?
Would you join a fast-paced fashion development team where speed, technical accuracy, and trend sense are all essential? Why or why not?

If you interview, ask what PLM they use and how many styles you’d own at once — pace is everything at fast-fashion. In my last role, adding clear tolerances and annotated fit photos to tech packs cut revisions in half and kept vendors on track, especially when we sent change notes before EOD for overseas time zones.

‍‌‌⁠‍‌​‍‍⁠​​​‍‌‍‍‍‍⁠⁠‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠​‍‌‍‍⁠​‌​‍‌‍‍‌⁠‌⁠‍‍‌‍​‌⁠‍‌​‍‌⁠‌‍​‍‌‍⁠‍​‍‍‍⁠​‍​⁠​‌⁠⁠‍​⁠‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌⁠‌⁠‍‍‌‍​‌‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‍‌​⁠⁠‍‍‍‌​‌⁠‍‌​⁠‌‌‌​‍​⁠⁠​⁠​‍‌‍⁠‌‌​‌‍‍‌​⁠⁠‍‍‌​‍‌⁠‍‌​⁠‌​‌​​‍‌⁠​‌​⁠‌​‌​‍‍⁠⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠​‍‌⁠​⁠​‍‌‍⁠‌‍‌⁠‍‍‌​⁠⁠‍‍‌​‍‍‌‌‍‌​⁠‍⁠​‌‍‍‍⁠‌‍​‌​‌‍‌​‍⁠‍‌‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠​‌​​‍‍​‌​‌⁠​‍‍⁠‌‌‌​⁠⁠​​⁠‌​‌‌‍​‍‌‍⁠‍⁠​​

At Fashion Nova pace, I’d nail down sample turn times, fits per style, and whether you own BOM/tech packs in their PLM or just support. I’d also ask about OT during drops and if they expect CLO or only Illustrator — did the recruiter specify?

‍‌‌⁠‍‌​‍‍⁠​​​‍‌‍‍‍‍⁠⁠‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠​‍‌‍‍⁠​‌​‍‌‍‍‌⁠‌⁠‍‍‌‍​‌⁠‍‌​‍‌⁠‌‍​‍‌‍⁠‍​‍‍‍⁠​‍​⁠​‌⁠⁠‍​⁠‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌⁠‌⁠‍‍‌‍​‌‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‍‌​⁠⁠‍‍‍‌​‌⁠‍‌​⁠‌‌‌​‍​⁠⁠​⁠​‍‌‍⁠‌‌​‌‍‍‌​⁠⁠‍‍‌​‍‌⁠‍‌​⁠‌​‌​​‍‌⁠​‌​⁠‌​‌​‍‍⁠⁠‍​​⁠‍⁠‍‌​‍‌⁠​⁠​‍‌‍⁠‌‍‌⁠‍‍‌​⁠⁠‍‍‌​‍‌⁠‌⁠‍​‍​‌⁠⁠​​​‌⁠‍‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​​‍‍​‍‍⁠​‍‍​‍‌‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌​⁠​​‌‍‍‍⁠‌‍⁠​⁠​​​‍‌‍⁠‍⁠​​

In my last assistant role, batching lab dip and strike-off approvals by vendor with one master swatch card kept color consistent across colorways and prevented ugly dye surprises at the photo sample stage.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‍‌⁠​​‌‌⁠⁠‌​‌‍‌​⁠‌​⁠​​‌⁠‌‌‌​​⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‍​‌‌⁠⁠‌​⁠​‌‌‍‍‌⁠‍​‌​‍​‌​‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

I pre-measure shrinkage and log wash method — AATCC 135 helps: AATCC Standard Test Methods and Procedures - AATCC; otherwise tag vendor wash…

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‌​⁠​​‌‍​‌‌‌‌⁠​⁠‍‌​⁠​​‌‍⁠​​⁠‌​‌​​⁠​⁠‌​‌⁠‌‍‌‌​⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

Lock your fit blocks early and keep a ‘fit continuity’ sheet per block — cuts fit rounds when you’re sprinting from concept to production. I tie proto/PP deadlines to the content shoot calendar in Beverly Hills and loop vendors on LA time so we can messenger next-day. Tiny caveat: if marketing shifts the shoot, freeze color names in specs or retouch will eat your margin.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​⁠​​⁠‍‌‌‍⁠​‌⁠​⁠‌‌​‍‌​​⁠‌​‍⁠​⁠​‍‌‍‍​‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠​⁠​⁠‌​‌​‌‍‌⁠​⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

Build an Illustrator symbol library and ‘measure at HPS’ callouts for tech packs; map to factory templates.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠‌‍‌⁠‍​‌‍​‌‌​‍​​⁠​‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠​⁠‌‌‌‍​‍‌​⁠‍‌‍‍‍‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌‌​‍‌‌‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

I’d take it if their PD flow is organized; my one must-do is a per-style change log pinned to the tech pack with date-stamped updates like ‘V1.3: moved pocket 1 cm; zipper YKK #5 Vislon’ so factories don’t build off old files. If there’s no PLM, a simple Google Sheet or a redline PDF works — think git for garments. Small caveat: some vendors ignore sheets, so I mirror the change in the email subject to force visibility.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌‌​​‌‍‍‍‌‌‍​‌⁠​​‌⁠‌​‌‍‍⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‍‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍⁠‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​