Head Cutter/Draper - Historic Clothing & Dress

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About The Position

Working under the unit manager, the Head Cutter/Draper manages the sewing operations process. The individual in this role reviews and approves clothing requests, plans workflow, performs fittings, customizes patterns as needed, and serves as the expert and mentor for the Tailors and First Hand Tailors in the unit. The Head Cutter/Draper is also responsible for swatching clothing requisitions and ensuring that each garment meets Colonial Williamsburg's standards of historical accuracy, visual interpretive presentation of clothing, and quality execution.

Main Duties:

• Oversee and manage the process of clothing requests, workflows, fittings, customizing patterns, task delegation, and production.
• Set standards, documents processes, trains others, resolve issues, and streamline processes.
• Perform article inspection.
• Provides feedback regarding performance to Historic Clothing and Dress leadership and participates in interviewing candidates.
• Measure employees for historical dress and accurately fit those employees with in stock items.
• When an in-stock item cannot be found, the Cutter/Draper makes a custom garment for that individual.
• During fittings, listen to, and respond to the individuals’ need regarding garments.
• Recognizing and balancing specific requests, understanding that different jobs and trades within the foundation require specific and unique attention to detail.
• Provide instructions to employees regarding the correct wear, care, and terminology of garments.
• Serve as a primary member of the fit team to instruct, train, and monitor the Cutter/Draper, Firsthand Tailors and Tailors in fitting, constructing, and altering of new and existing garments.
• Create patterns using both hand and digital methods including the use of Adobe Illustrator, pattern manipulation, draping and flat pattern design, or development from the department’s committee approved pattern archive.
• Secure the accuracy and integrity of the patterns and initial designs, ensuring that all recreated items of dress are derived from acknowledged documentary evidence including, but not limited, to surviving garments and/or historic depictions and descriptions specific to the represented time, individual, and location.
• Direct Firsthand Tailors to prepare cut garments into “work bundles” for tailors.
• Provide specific instructions using both verbal and written communication.
• Process fabric for cutting and construction.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure the logical, efficient, and equitable distribution of work to appropriate staff - including custom production, alteration, and maintenance of costumes.
• Perform duties at all levels as needed and provide team members with duties based on skill to foster accuracy and efficiency.
• Monitors and ensures quality control of items altered and manufactured by the team.
• Maintain accurate records of fittings, track the progress of allotment orders, provide staff with replacements for worn out items, and conduct custom production as necessary.
• Collaborate with management to determine appropriate timelines, deadlines, and milestones.
• Conduct and manage inventory, coordinate orders, restocking, and facility cleanliness
• Create and maintain standard operating procedure manuals for all articles of clothing
• Performs other duties requested.
  
  

This is a non-exempt position, eligible to receive overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor

Standards Act (FLSA). This position may be subject to overtime during high peak times, etc. as

directed and approved by the supervisor.

Required Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Completed formal studies and/or industry training as cutter/draper/patternmaker.
• Minimum 5 years’ professional experience in a professional sewing environment, costume shop, fashion industry, or related field.
• Demonstrated construction and tailoring skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency and ability to draft, grade, drape, and create historical clothing patterns. These patterns could be taken from existing designs, diagrams, or surviving objects
• Minimum 2 years’ experience proving direction to others or managing a team in a costume/tailor shop setting.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in textiles, historical clothing or related field.
• Master’s degree or equivalent experience with training and/or course work in tailoring and/or costume technology.
• 8 years’ experience of professional garment fitting, drafting, and patternmaking.
• Comprehensive industry training and experience as cutter/draper/patternmaker.
• Knowledge of historical cut and construction and history of dress.
  
  

Key Skills / Competencies:

• Extensive knowledge of clothing design, construction, social history and cultural significance, particularly 18th-centory garments
• High degree of sewing and tailoring skills
• Excellent communication and management skills that can be applied to teaching and mentoring other members of the unit
• Ability to work independently but maintain collaborative relationships with other functions with the operation
• Ability to organize work to meet tight timelines
  
  

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• High degree of manual dexterity to handle, feel and execute fine work and to operate constantly near mechanized machines
• Frequent mix of standing, walking and sitting
• Occasional requirement to lift up to 25 pounds
  
  

Typical Work Schedule:

M-F 8:00am-4:30pm with occasional Saturday production or special event hours. 40 hours weekly full

time