Luxury Fabric Development & Sourcing Lead

The White Company; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discount

Pension Scheme

Bonus

Holiday 25 days

Private Healthcare

Life Assurance

Job summary

The White Company is seeking an experienced Head of Fabric Development to lead and direct sourcing across all product categories. You will build strong supplier partnerships, elevate fabric quality and drive margin through innovative concepts, testing standards and price negotiation.

Reporting to design leadership, you will travel overseas as needed and partner with mills, suppliers and internal teams to deliver premium fabrics that define the brand's luxury appeal.

Qualifications

• Graduate level, design and fashion degree preferable.
• Cross functional worker, understanding of relationships between Buying, Sourcing, Design, Merchandising & Quality Assurance
• CAD skills
• Excellent creative and analytical ability; an eye for product and brand.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Extensive experience in Fabric Development, preferably attained from within a luxury brand

Responsibilities

• Meet regularly with current and new fabric suppliers/mills.
• Ensure fabrics can be counter sourced or developed when necessary to maximise margin
• Research and development of new trends, fabrics and yarn types
• Source and develop new fabrics each season with design team and introducing innovative concepts that are first to market.
• Keep aware of competitive fabric developments
• Work closely with the design and buying teams to ensure fabric selections are based on price, quality and critical path
• Establish fabric library, identifying key cloth and yarn qualities that will be consistently used and pass all quality standards.
• Responsible for setting and maintaining technical standards and deal with fabric production issues and claims
• Provide technical advice to product teams and suppliers
• Negotiate best prices on fabrics where possible

Skills

Fabric development

Sourcing

CAD

Negotiation

Attention to detail

Education

Graduate degree in design/fashion

Tools

CAD

Job description

The White Company is seeking an experienced Head of Fabric Development to lead and direct sourcing across all product categories. You will build strong supplier partnerships, elevate fabric quality and drive margin through innovative concepts, testing standards and price negotiation.

Reporting to design leadership, you will travel overseas as needed and partner with mills, suppliers and internal teams to deliver premium fabrics that define the brand's luxury appeal.