Textile Manager, Woman's Wholesale Apparel

Premier Brands Group Holdings•New York, NY

About The Position

The Textile Manager oversees fabric sourcing, development, purchasing, and production coordination across the company’s women’s apparel divisions. The role works with Design, Product Development, Production, Sourcing, CAD, Costing, Technical Design, Quality Assurance, and domestic and international mills and factories to ensure fabric choices meet design expectations, quality standards, cost objectives, and production timelines. The manager leads fabric development and execution across the seasonal lifecycle, including supplier sourcing, costing, consumption and yield calculations, purchase placement, sampling and approvals, delivery tracking, and resolution of production-related issues. The role also negotiates pricing, monitors vendor performance, maintains fabric records and tracking reports, and provides technical guidance and status updates to cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate has strong technical knowledge of woven and knit fabrics, established mill relationships, an excellent eye for color and quality, and the ability to manage multiple seasonal programs independently.

Requirements

At least 5 years of progressive experience in textile sourcing, fabric development, fabric purchasing, or a related apparel production function.
Strong technical knowledge of woven and knit fabrications, fiber content, fabric construction, and manufacturing processes.
Demonstrated experience working with domestic and overseas fabric mills, suppliers, and factories.
Strong understanding of fabric costing, purchasing, consumption, yield calculations, and production timelines.
Experience managing fabric development, approvals, quality issues, and bulk production requirements.
Excellent eye for color, fabric quality, construction, and overall product aesthetics.
Knowledge of fabric testing, performance requirements, and quality standards.
Strong negotiation, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate across Design, Production, Sourcing, and Product Development.
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple seasonal deadlines and fabric programs.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel.

Nice To Haves

Experience sourcing and managing fabric programs for women’s apparel.
Knowledge of PLM systems and fabric tracking tools.
Degree in Textiles, Fashion, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.

Responsibilities

Partner with Design and Product Development to research, identify, and recommend fabric suppliers and fabrications for seasonal collections.
Source and assess fabric options for design suitability, quality, construction, performance, cost, and production feasibility.
Maintain relationships with domestic and international mills, suppliers, and manufacturing partners.
Review fabric pricing, minimum order quantities, lead times, quality standards, and potential production challenges.
Advise Design and Production teams on fabric characteristics, performance, availability, and sourcing alternatives.
Coordinate seasonal fabric development, sampling, and approvals in line with critical path calendars.
Evaluate fabric construction, weight, composition, hand feel, color, and suitability for intended garments.
Research alternative fabrications and suppliers to support cost efficiency, quality improvement, and production needs.
Manage fabric order placement, confirmation, tracking, and follow-up throughout the production cycle.
Validate fabric costs, consumption requirements, delivery schedules, and production quantities.
Calculate fabric yields and consumption for styles in coordination with CAD, Costing, and Production.
Partner with Production and Sourcing to establish accurate fabric requirements and place orders on time.
Monitor fabric production status and shipments against garment production deadlines.
Coordinate with mills and factories to resolve fabric-related quality, shortage, pricing, delivery, and payment issues.
Identify potential delays or material shortages and develop solutions to minimize production disruption.
Monitor fabric commitments, changes, and production requirements across assigned divisions.
Work with factories to ensure approved materials and correct fabric specifications are used in bulk production.
Oversee fabric approvals for color, quality, construction, and performance.
Review lab dips, strike-offs, handlooms, and other fabric submissions against approved standards.
Partner with Quality Assurance, Technical Design, and Production on fabric testing and performance requirements.
Evaluate shrinkage, colorfastness, dimensional stability, and other applicable fabric characteristics.
Resolve fabric quality discrepancies with mills, factories, and internal departments before and during production.
Maintain records of approved fabric standards, colors, specifications, and testing documentation.
Ensure fabric quality and performance meet company standards and applicable retailer requirements.
Negotiate fabric prices with mills while maintaining required quality standards.
Work with Costing, Production, and Design to identify fabric alternatives and cost-saving opportunities.
Assess cost implications of fabric consumption, widths, minimums, production requirements, and supplier changes.
Monitor mill performance in quality, pricing, responsiveness, and delivery reliability.
Develop and maintain vendor relationships for current and future sourcing needs.
Escalate significant fabric pricing, quality, or delivery concerns and coordinate solutions.
Manage departmental systems and records, including seasonal calendars, PLM records, fabric filing, and reporting.
Maintain fabric libraries, approvals, purchase records, specifications, and supplier information.
Track seasonal development and production deadlines for fabric-related requirements.
Prepare and maintain fabric tracking reports, status updates, and summaries of outstanding issues.
Collaborate with Design, Product Development, Production, Sourcing, CAD, Costing, and Technical Design throughout the product lifecycle.
Identify opportunities to improve fabric development, purchasing, approval, and tracking processes.
Provide timely updates on fabric status, delivery concerns, pricing changes, and production risks.
Support cross-functional teams with fabric-related problem-solving and technical guidance.