Design Studio Assistant

Full-time | One year contract | Primrose Hill, London

Reports to: Head of Design

Works closely with: Creative Director, Founder & Designers

Every collection depends on the details being right

It might be the proportion of a sleeve, the placement of a print, a construction note communicated clearly to a factory or a sample that arrives at exactly the right moment.

We are looking for an all-round Design Studio Assistant with excellent CAD skills to join Sahara’s expanding Design Team.

This is a varied and important role for someone whose creative eye is matched by technical accuracy, strong organisation and a genuine enthusiasm for fabrics, prints and garment design. Someone who can translate a designer’s sketch into a clear, well-proportioned CAD, prepare an accurate technical pack and keep samples, information and seasonal priorities moving through a busy fashion design studio.

Based in our light-filled design studio in the heart of Primrose Hill, you will work closely with the Head of Design, Creative Director and the wider Design Team, supporting the development of each collection from initial sketch through to sampling, range presentation and seasonal review.

This is not simply an administrative role, nor is it solely a CAD position. You will work at the point where creative ideas, technical information and studio organisation meet, helping to ensure that every design is communicated clearly, every sample is accounted for and the team has the accurate, up-to-date information it needs.

About Sahara

Sahara is an independent, family-run womenswear brand with an adventurous and globally inspired point of view. We create clothes for the individual rather than the crowd, bringing together expressive colour, distinctive texture, effortless silhouettes and carefully considered materials.

Our relationships with makers, mills, independent artisans and manufacturing partners are central to the way we work. We believe in thoughtful production, enduring design and clothes that continue to be worn and loved, long after a season has passed.

The role

Working collaboratively with the Designers, Head of Design, Creative Director, the wider Design and Production teams, you will:

• Create accurate, proportioned CADs from designers’ sketches, incorporating the relevant garment construction details and clearly communicating the original design intention.
• Develop coloured CADs and print-filled CADs using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, ensuring colour, scale, placement and proportion are represented accurately.
• Prepare clear, factory-ready technical packs for garments, including design notes, construction details and other information required for sampling.
• Create sample programme sheets and maintain an accurate, up-to-date sample tracker throughout the development process.
• Action sample requests with factories and follow their progress, liaising confidently and professionally with suppliers, factories and fabric mills.
• Receive, tag, record and organise incoming sample garments, keeping track of deliveries and ensuring samples are available to the team when required.
• Maintain an orderly and accessible collection of physical garments across current and upcoming seasons, ensuring the design studio is always kept neat and tidy.
• Archive garment samples from previous seasons, ensuring that the studio’s reference collection remains clearly organised and easy to navigate.
• Create line sheets, range overviews and other seasonal documents that communicate the collection clearly and consistently.
• Working with the Buyer, help identify successful garments, colours, prints and product categories.
• Maintain an up-to-date record of sales performance for the Founder, Creative Director and Designers, creating a useful reference for future collection development.
• Provide wider creative, technical and organisational support to the Design Team, as priorities change throughout the season.

About you

You may currently be working as a Design Assistant, CAD Assistant or Design Studio Assistant, or be looking for your first full-time role after completing industry work placements. Your exact title matters less than the combination of creativity, accuracy and initiative you will bring to the role.

You will bring:

• A BA degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design or a closely related discipline.
• Ideally, around two years’ relevant experience within a fashion design studio, including internships or other meaningful industry experience.
• Excellent CAD skills, with the ability to create accurate, well-proportioned garment drawings from designers’ sketches.
• Advanced knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Sound knowledge of AI support tools will be beneficial.
• Experience creating colourways, applying prints to CADs and preparing clear design presentations.
• A genuine passion for fabrics and textiles, together with excellent knowledge of woven and jersey qualities, prints, colour and surface.
• A sound understanding of garment construction and the ability to communicate construction details clearly within technical packs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and confidence maintaining trackers, seasonal records and sales information.
• A well-developed eye for colour, print, proportion, texture and silhouette.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to keep samples, files and information accurate and up to date.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the confidence to speak with suppliers and factories by telephone and email.
• The ability to work accurately to tight deadlines and manage several priorities within a fast-paced studio environment.
• A positive, can-do attitude and a calm, solution-driven approach when plans or priorities change.
• A collaborative and generous way of working, combined with the confidence to take responsibility for your own tasks.
• Curiosity, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to develop your knowledge and progress along your chosen design career path.

You will be comfortable working within an independent, founder-led business, where ideas are shared openly, teams work closely and every person has the opportunity to make a visible contribution.

The opportunity

This is an early-career role with genuine breadth and the opportunity to become closely involved in the day-to-day development of Sahara’s collections.

You will work surrounded by colour, cloth, print, shape and ideas with access to garment archives and the opportunity to study and learn from seasonal sales analysis.

The position will suit someone who enjoys both the creative and practical sides of a design studio; someone who understands that creativity depends not only on strong ideas, but also on precision, communication and thoughtful organisation.

Sahara is passionate about working with great people and building inspirational, creative teams. We understand how important it is to enjoy your working day and are fortunate to have beautiful offices with an abundance of natural light.

We promote a friendly, supportive and non-corporate environment at our Primrose Hill headquarters. Our team is passionate and hard-working, and we enjoy spending time together both in and outside the office.

We offer a competitive salary, a generous holiday allowance, flexible start and finish times, a discretionary annual bonus and access to exclusive perks and discounts through Perkbox.

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