Pattern makers
Become a pattern maker on Smasher Studio
Brands commission production patterns here and pay before the work starts. We write the brief and set the fee. You take the commissions you want, cut them in the software you already use, and the fee is yours.
A person reads every application. We come back within two to three business days.
What you are paid
Simple
$29
2 to 6 pieces
t-shirt, vest, basic skirt
Standard
$59
7 to 15 pieces
hoodie, dress, trousers
Complex
$129
16 pieces and up
structured blazer, coat, lined dress
The fee is paid to you in full, net of the card processing fee. Purchased add-ons are added to the commission and paid to you in full as well: size grading $15, a factory tech pack $10, a marker layout $10, seam allowances $5.
How a commission reaches you
- 1
A brand commissions a pattern
A client describes the garment in the studio and pays before any work starts. We classify the garment from the piece count and set the fee. Nothing reaches you unpaid.
- 2
The commission opens
Open commissions appear in your console and in your inbox. There is no bidding and no auction: the commission goes to the first pattern maker who accepts it, at the fee already published.
- 3
You read the brief and cut
Each commission carries a written brief: the garment and its construction, the base size and the size range, a points-of-measure table with a tolerance on every line, the fabric class, weight band and stretch behaviour, and the seam and hem convention. You work in the CAD you already use.
- 4
You deliver and you are paid
You upload the AAMA/ASTM DXF-2 files. Your invoice is generated for you, in the client’s name, with the numbers already filled in. Payment is released when the client approves the files, and if they do not review within seven days the approval happens automatically.
What this is not
Worth being plain about, because it is the part that makes the rest work.
You never quote
The fee is published before anyone accepts. You are not asked for a price, a day rate or an estimate, and you never negotiate with the client.
There is no shop window
You do not publish a service list and clients do not browse makers. Work is commissioned by us and offered to the bench.
No sales, no chasing
No proposals, no scoping calls, no invoice reminders. The brief arrives written, the invoice is generated, and the payment is released on approval.
Questions
What software do I need?
Whatever you already cut in. The deliverable is AAMA/ASTM DXF-2, which Lectra Modaris, Gerber AccuMark, Optitex, CLO3D and Browzwear all export. We do not ask you to learn a tool for us.
What is the pay per commission?
A fixed fee per garment, published before you accept it: $29 for a simple garment, $59 for a standard one and $129 for a complex one, decided by the piece count. The fee is paid to you in full, net of the card processing fee. If the client buys an add-on, that fee is added to the commission and paid to you in full as well: size grading $15, a factory tech pack $10, a marker layout $10, seam allowances $5.
Why is the fee not negotiable?
Because the price is set before the client and the maker ever meet, by us, from the garment. That is what lets us publish a fixed price to the client and a fixed fee to you, and it is why nobody has to undercut anybody to get the work.
How much work is there?
We will not quote you a volume we cannot guarantee. The bench is young and the commissions that exist are real, paid ones. There is no minimum you have to accept and no penalty for letting one pass.
How am I paid?
You are paid as an independent, through Stripe Connect, which you connect once from the console. Your invoice for each commission is generated for you. We do not employ you and we do not hold your money in escrow.
What is expected of me once I accept?
Delivery inside the window the console shows when you accept: 48 hours for a simple garment, 72 hours for a standard one, five days for a complex one. One revision is part of the commission. Repeatedly missing deliveries pauses new claims until we have talked it through.
Where do I have to be?
Anywhere. The brief and the files travel; you do not. Tell us your city and time zone so the delivery windows are read in your clock.