Fabric R&D Assistant: Textile Development & Sourcing

Premier Brands Group Holdings; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kasper Group is an apparel industry leader in women’s wear, seeking an entry-level Temp Fabric R&D Assistant to support the Fabric/Textile team across our wholesale ready-to-wear business.

You will work closely with Design, Production, Textile and mills to drive fabric development from initial research through pre-production; strong organization and teamwork are essential for success in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Associate degree in Textile Development, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Design, Product Development or related field preferred.
• Internship, academic or entry-level experience within textiles, fabric development, sourcing, apparel production or product development preferred.
• Basic understanding of woven and knit fabrics, fabric construction and textile terminology.
• Strong interest in women's ready-to-wear and the apparel development process.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong follow-up skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Comfortable communicating with mills, vendors and cross-functional internal teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Experience with PLM systems and/or Adobe Photoshop is a plus.
• Strong aesthetic sense and an interest in fabric, color, print and seasonal fashion trends.
• Must be proactive, dependable and comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the Fabric/Textile team with seasonal fabric research and development.
• Partner with Design to understand seasonal fabric direction and development needs.
• Communicate with domestic and overseas mills regarding fabric developments, pricing, minimums, widths, content and availability.
• Request and maintain Fabric Data Sheets (FDS) for all sampled and developed qualities.
• Request swatches, headers, sample yardage and sub-proto yardage from mills and local suppliers.
• Assist with counter sourcing and identifying alternative fabric options as needed.
• Maintain accurate records of fabric developments from initial submission through pre-production.
• Track fabric submissions, approvals, sample yardage and development status.
• Assist with ordering and tracking sample yardage for market and seasonal development.
• Receive, organize, label and distribute incoming fabric samples and yardage.
• Cut and prepare fabric swatches and reference samples for Design boards, internal libraries and development records.
• Assist designers with pulling fabric and yardage for sample cutting.
• Maintain seasonal fabric binders, swatch libraries and digital development records.
• Organize fabric selections by mill, category, season and division.
• Maintain an organized sample yardage and fabric storage area.
• Save and maintain fabric documentation within company shared drives and systems.
• Provide daily follow-up with mills and internal teams regarding outstanding fabric developments.
• Support additional fabric, textile and product development projects as needed.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Multitasking

Microsoft Office

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Associate degree in Textile Development, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Design, Product Development or related field

Tools

PLM systems

Adobe Photoshop

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Kasper Group is an apparel industry leader in women’s wear, seeking an entry-level Temp Fabric R&D Assistant to support the Fabric/Textile team across our wholesale ready-to-wear business.

You will work closely with Design, Production, Textile and mills to drive fabric development from initial research through pre-production; strong organization and teamwork are essential for success in a fast-paced environment.