We're looking for a Design Operations intern to join our Product Team for the Fall to keep our design studio running smoothly. The most important part of this role is organization — making sure our physical and digital workspaces are in great shape so the design team can move fast and focus on the creative work. You'll get meaningful exposure to how a modern luxury menswear brand develops product, from fabric selection through to the finished collection.
This is a hands-on, operations-driven role within a design team — ideal for someone who is highly organized but also genuinely interested in product, materials, and construction. You won't be observing from a distance — you'll be embedded in a working design team during one of our busiest development periods.
Requirements
Core Responsibilities
Studio & Sample Organization (Primary Focus)
- Maintain and organize the physical design studio: fabric swatches, sample garments, trim libraries (buttons, snaps, hardware), reference garments, and mood board materials
- Build and maintain a clear system for tracking incoming samples — log arrivals, photograph and tag samples, file by season/category/status
- Organize and archive fabric swatch libraries by mill, season, and category so the team can pull references quickly during fabric appointments and design reviews
- Keep the sample closet current — ensuring approved samples are accessible, archived seasons are properly stored, and returns/sends are tracked
Digital Organization & Support
- Support the ClickUp line sheet by adding swatch images, updating product status fields, and ensuring entries have complete data (pricing, arrival dates, supplier info, SKU counts)
- Document all existing Proper Cloth Design Details for digital library and reference documents
- Take photos to document design and construction of reference samples (inside, outside, collars, cuffs, hems, linings, etc.) for future design references
Design Support
- Assist with fabric appointment prep — pulling relevant swatches, organizing competitive references, and preparing mood boards
- Help prep design reviews and concept presentations with organized visual materials
- Support the team with ad hoc tasks during production and concepting: measurement documentation, photography coordination, competitive shopping, and fabric sourcing research
What You'll Learn
- How a menswear brand develops product from concept through production — the full lifecycle across shirts, pants, knitwear, and outerwear
- Fabric knowledge: mills, weaves, cotton types, yarn construction, finishing treatments — the technical language of quality menswear
- How design systems work in practice: named models, construction hierarchies, and how individual design choices express brand positioning
- PLM and collection management using ClickUp, Miro, and industry-standard tools
- How a small, high-output design team balances creative ambition with production discipline
Who You Are
- Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in fashion design, textile design, merchandising, or a related field
- Highly organized and detail-oriented — you're the person who keeps track of everything and builds and maintains systems that actually work
- Comfortable with both physical and digital organization — equally at home filing fabric swatches and managing project management software
- Genuine interest in menswear, fabric, and product quality — you don't have to be an expert, but curiosity matters
- Self-starter who can see what needs doing without being told — in a small studio, initiative and proactivity is everything
- Exposure to ClickUp or PLM, Miro, Google Workspace, or similar tools (or a fast learner)
- Bonus: experience with Clo3D, Adobe Creative Suite, or garment measurement/tech packs
Details
- Location: NYC office in SoHo
- Schedule: Mon-Thurs, late August through mid-December
Benefits
- Compensation: $24.00/hr + $20/day lunch credit
Skills Required
- Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in fashion design, textile design, merchandising, or related field
- Highly organized and detail-oriented with ability to build and maintain systems
- Comfortable with both physical and digital organization (filing fabric swatches and managing project management software)
- Genuine interest in menswear, fabrics, and product quality
- Self-starter who takes initiative in a small studio environment
- Exposure to ClickUp or PLM, Miro, Google Workspace, or similar tools (or a fast learner)
- Ability to work on-site in NYC SoHo Mon–Thurs from late August through mid-December
- Bonus: experience with Clo3D, Adobe Creative Suite, or garment measurement/tech packs
What We Do
Proper Cloth simply makes the best custom clothing. We're not your typical tailor - we're a younger generation of entrepreneurs that take both fashion and technology seriously, and we deliver some of the highest quality dress shirts you can find, quickly and with amazing customer service.
