Garment Technologist

at  Orlebar Brown

Title: Garment Technologist
Reports to: Head of Product and Technical Services
Based: London
Salary: £k - depending upon experience

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience working with “true knit” product categories, with knowledge of stitch types and construction methods.
• A proven track record of confidently leading fitting sessions from Prototype stage through to Pre-Production approval to bulk.
• Previous experience as a pattern cutter or working with development and production patterns an advantage.
• A solid knowledge of garment construction across all categories.
• A history of setting and achieving quality standards, appropriate to a high-end/luxury brand, across a variety of product categories.
• A firm understanding of grading across Menswear (Childrenswear would also be an advantage).
• Experience working with fabric mills, trim suppliers and testing labs on testing and technical packages.
• A solid knowledge of international testing and care label standards across all fabric, yarns and product categories.
• A history of setting up testing and care label standards, appropriate to a high-end/luxury brand, across a variety of product categories.
• A firm understanding the AQL process, bulk production audits and proactively solving issues without impacting bulk delivery.
• Organised and efficient – ability to multi-task and prioritise.
• Organisational skills with experience of working to critical deadlines.
• Good communication skills with experience of liaising with a range of suppliers and other partners.
• Experience of working within a team.
• Good office and administration skills, with a systematic approach to logging information.

The central responsibilities of this role revolve around ensuring the on-time sealing of all styles within your categories. Ensuring the apparel and accessory collections are correct to design specifications and bulk deliveries are to required quality standard.

• Identify current blocks for seasonal developments and where new blocks are required, work with the supplier base to establish these, creating measurement charts and pattern work from reference samples when required.
• Work with the Product Development and Production teams to ensure all styles are sealed on time (according to critical path).
• Manage sealing critical path, fit meeting schedule and on-time delivery of all prototype and pre-production samples.
• Manage size standards for your product categories, establishing and maintaining fit and size standards for the brand.
• Document and issue fit comments to vendors in line with the critical path.
• Launch and approve graded spec charts, monitoring correct and consistent grade rules across your vendors.
• Lead seasonal fit and grading reviews with the wider teams and action feedback where required.
• Monitor and record supplier performance and feed back to the wider team on where issues need highlighting.
• Assessment of new seasonal fabric and trim development, logging all information and communication.
• Identification of any pre-testing during the Proto or SMS development processes.
• Garment Dye and Wash approval and pre-testing where required.
• Testing of new trim developments in line with the Orlebar Brown testing package.
• Set up and management of seasonal fabric and trim testing, for your categories, in line with the Orlebar Brown testing package. Leasing with suppliers and test houses where fabric and trim fail to meet requirements, proactively solving problems where possible.
• Set up, management and approval of seasonal Care Labelling in line with international standards.
• Identification of new testing and labelling requirements to allow for shipping goods world-wide. Updating testing and labelling requirements when changes are made.
• Along with the other Garment Technologist, management of the Testing and Care Label sections within the supplier manual.
• On boarding of new mills and suppliers to make sure they fully understand Orlebar Brown’s testing and labelling requirements.
• Along with the other Garment Technologist, management of the Shipment Sample approval process.
• Action and management of the AQL inspection process where required. Leasing with suppliers and logging all inspection reports, feeding results back to the wider business quickly and effectively.