Yves Saint Laurent Footwear Sample Maker
- Seniority
- Mid-Level
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- May 6, 2026
About Yves Saint Laurent
Saint Laurent is an iconic French luxury fashion house recognized for its modern, tailored aesthetic and ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories. The maison is part of the Kering luxury group and operates internationally with a strong emphasis on artisanal craftsmanship, product excellence and close collaboration between creative and technical teams.
Saint Laurent in Vigonza, Italy seeks a Footwear Sample Maker to develop and refine shoe patterns using Caligola and CAD, supporting product and production teams.
Role & Responsibilities
- Develop and refine footwear patterns from last drawings through to finished samples, ensuring alignment with the Style Office design intent and Technical Direction.
- Execute model development using Caligola and CAD tools to integrate design, fit and manufacturability.
- Produce cutting and hemming (orlatura) specification sheets for prototypes and samples.
- Provide technical support to cutting, hemming and assembly departments throughout all production stages, verifying product conformity with defined quality standards.
- Collaborate with Product Development, Technical Development and Industrialisation teams to identify the optimal last and ensure smooth handover from sample to industrial production.
- Liaise with Materials R&D and Accessories teams to select appropriate materials and to guarantee correct accessory design and integration.
- Contribute to series development required for collections and runway shows, delivering within calendar deadlines.
Qualifications
- Technical diploma in footwear pattern making or equivalent qualification.
- Minimum five years’ proven experience in footwear pattern making/sample development, preferably within a structured luxury house.
- Advanced proficiency with CAD systems and the Caligola software.
- Thorough knowledge of footwear materials, components and associated manufacturing processes and technologies.
- Strong command of MS‑Office, particularly Excel; familiarity with PLM systems is advantageous.
- Excellent organisational skills with a structured approach to planning and meeting development timelines.
- Proactive attitude, high degree of autonomy, effective problem‑solving capability and the ability to work collaboratively across functions.
- Flexibility and availability for national and international travel.
Skills
Experience
At least 5 years of hands‑on experience in footwear sample/pattern development, ideally acquired within a luxury or high‑end footwear manufacturer or maison.
Education
Technical diploma in footwear pattern making (Diploma di tecnico modellista calzaturiero) or equivalent.
Workplace
This position is based in Vigonza, Veneto, Italy, within easy reach of Padua.
Culture
Saint Laurent fosters a high‑pace, creatively driven environment that prizes craftsmanship, precision and collaboration between design and technical disciplines. The maison operates internationally and values diversity and inclusion while maintaining rigorous standards of product excellence.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Yves Saint Laurent, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Shoe Pattern Maker», «Footwear Modeller», «Footwear Development Technician», «Sample Patternmaker — Footwear», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.