POSTED February 1, 2024

STUDIO ASSISTANT 

San Rafael, CA

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Requirement: 1 day per week (3-5 hours) commitment based on schedule.

Must have a vehicle for transportation.

Must be able to work with scissors and fabric on a 10 ft table.

 

Compensation: Hourly rate collaboratively discussed.

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Note: Opportunity to extend commitment.

 

OVERVIEW

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Herderin is a qualitative studio that researches socio-emotional / sensual awareness of people in clothing, and translates the findings into design outcomes. Our process is iterative, and aims to create a values-driven aesthetic that challenges dominant frames within the fashion industry. Working with Fibershed as a member and producer of the organization, Herderin seeks to build education, network, and opportunity for designers interested in sustainable & empathic design. As a member of Fibershed’s equity cohort, Herderin also seeks to foster greater diversity within the sustainable clothing movement by creating community-based career pathways for students, people of color, and people from economically disadvantaged geographies.

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Led by sociologist and designer, Alexandria “Alix” Vasquez, PhD, Herderin was founded in 2018 after six years of intensive study in empathic design. Taking her design process to a heightened intensity, she lived rural and without mirrors for four years, learning how to design when the sensual experience of clothing was priority over the visual interpretation. In doing this, an aesthetic distinct to Herderin emerged, with elements of size flexibility and inclusivity, natural materials, gender fluidity, and single-tailor production processes. A major element to Herderin’s sourcing and production is that it remains local, seasonal, and factory-free. At this time, we are looking to build upon our concept of "Nature/Self", which is an ontological perspective that strives to create greater harmony between people and their clothing.

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POSITION

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At this time, Herderin has much work to make public – from written to visual to tactile. Alix is seeking studio assistants to help with the following tasks:

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• Ongoing qualitative research on empathic design principles;

• Garment preparation for Herderin's upcoming Nature/Self exhibition, photoshoot, and Spring/Summer markets;

• Organizing and communicating the design framework and interpretive outcomes of Herderin;

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Assistants must have a car and be able to work in San Rafael, CA (3-5 hours per week) and travel locally when necessary. Assistant must especially have strong interest in all or most of the following:

 

• Climate justice;

• Social theory;

• Disrupting fashion industry education, production and sourcing;

• Nature;

• Community engagement;

• Empathic design theory;

• Slow Craft.

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This is a very small studio run by the founder, and the present opportunity has the potential to grow into a unique role beyond assistant and with more hours (current hours are based on Alix's tight schedule).

 

Herderin is a very low-key studio that does not share with the public often, and assistant(s) are expected to judiciously share the inner workings of Herderin. We are in the process of something big, but it is slow, and it requires people with attention to their own awareness in order to make this idea a larger success.

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Please send resume/CV and cover letter to info@herderin.com 
 

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