Palava - Open Roles

Salary: £28,000
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time (5 days, Tuesday to Saturday, with Saturdays on a rota)
Location: In-house at Palava shop, King's Cross, London, N1 9DN
Start: Immediate

About Palava

Palava is a small, independent clothing company with a clear purpose: to make things better by changing how clothing is designed, made and valued. We care deeply about how we do things, from materials and manufacturing to fit, longevity and how our clothes are worn in real life.

We design and make in small batches, work closely as a team, and take responsibility seriously. This is not fast fashion, and it’s not a hands-off studio environment. Being part of Palava means being involved, thoughtful and willing to contribute across the business.

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Why apply for this role?

This is a rare opportunity for someone at the start of their career to gain a broad, hands-on understanding of the fashion industry.

Rather than being limited to a single task or department, you will be exposed to many areas of Palava’s work, from creative projects and photoshoots to customer experience, marketing, production, and the day-to-day running of a small business.

For someone who is curious, motivated, and still discovering where they want to focus, this role offers space to learn, experiment, and grow.

You will be joining a small team that is deeply committed to sustainability, craftsmanship, and rethinking how clothes are made. This is a chance to be part of a business that is not just talking about change, but actively working towards it.

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What You’ll Be Doing

Design & Technical

• Preparing and updating spec sheets for new and existing styles
• Recording measurements, fabrics, trims, prints and construction details clearly
• Checking specs for missing information and flagging gaps early
• Supporting design follow-through from idea to sample

Collection Planning & Organisation

• Supporting range plans, collection overviews and sampling notes
• Keeping shared documents clear, current and well organised
• Helping the team stay on top of multiple collections at once

Visual & Creative

• Assisting with simple layout or internal design tasks
• Helping turn rough ideas into tidy visuals, lists or boards
• Organising digital assets for shoots, website and marketing

Shop, Studio & General

• Helping manage the studio shop, supporting customers and day-to-day shop tasks
• Supporting photoshoots, sample prep and studio organisation
• Assisting with website updates and basic admin
• Pitching in with general studio tasks and practical problem-solving as needed

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The Role

We’re looking for a Studio & Design Assistant to support design, studio operations and the day-to-day running of Palava.

This is a general, multi-hat role. While it leans towards design and collections, it’s important to understand that this is not just a design job. You will be expected to support across the studio, shop and wider team, helping wherever you’re needed.

A key part of the role is helping to manage the small shop that operates alongside the studio. This is an important way to learn about our customer, garment fit and how clothes perform in the real world.

You will also support photoshoots, website updates and the practical work that keeps a small business running smoothly.

This is a studio-based role. Being present is essential for learning, collaboration and development.

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About You

• You’re comfortable wearing different hats and switching between tasks
• You have a strong eye for detail and take pride in doing things properly
• You’re happy doing practical work that supports the bigger picture
• You’ve an interest in clothing, design and making
• You’re organised, curious and keen to learn with an interest in sustainability
• Love of prints, pattern and colour

Useful (but not essential) experience includes:

• Photoshop and Illustrator
• Excel or spreadsheets
• Shopify or website admin
• Spec sheets, garment construction or production knowledge
• An interest in sustainable fashion, materials and how clothes are made
• Any experience with CLO3D or Style3D would be a bonus

We don’t expect you to be an expert. We expect you to be thoughtful, capable and willing to learn.

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Working Pattern

• Full time (5 days, Tuesday to Saturday, with Saturdays on a rota)
• Studio-based role, working the same core hours as the rest of the team
• Being present in the studio is essential

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How to Apply

Please send your CV, a cover letter explaining why this role appeals to you and what you’d bring to the team to the email below. Subject line "Studio & Design Assistant". A portfolio is optional.

Email: [email protected]

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