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Salary: USD 135,000 - 150,000 / annual
SKIMS is seeking a Senior Fabric Manager to lead in-season fabric development and drive seasonal newness. This role is central to translating design direction and emerging trends into fabrics that meet the brand's aesthetic, quality, cost, and timing requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
In-Season Fabric Development: Lead fabric development from initial brief through approval and production handoff. Respond to emerging product opportunities and design updates with timely fabric solutions. Manage development timelines, submissions, and approvals while proactively addressing delivery risks. Balance speed, creative intent, quality, and cost when recommending fabrics and alternatives.
Seasonal Newness: Partner with Design to establish seasonal fabric direction and identify newness opportunities across the assortment. Research textile trends and consumer needs to inform fabric recommendations. Proactively source and present new fabric concepts reflecting the brand's aesthetic and commercial priorities. Curate seasonal fabric presentations with clear recommendations on application, cost, lead time, and development feasibility.
Mill Partnerships and Commercial Execution: Build strong mill relationships supporting newness, responsiveness, and reliable execution. Communicate clear development briefs, technical specifications, target costs, and required timelines. Evaluate fabric options for quality, scalability, MOQs, lead times, and production capability. Partner with Sourcing to achieve cost targets and confirm commercial requirements. Track supplier performance and resolve development challenges promptly. Maintain visibility into global textile markets, raw material pricing, and supplier capabilities.
Fabric Quality and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Evaluate fabric submissions for construction, hand feel, weight, finish, and suitability for intended use. Partner with Color, Product Compliance, and Technical Design to ensure fabrics meet color and performance requirements. Troubleshoot technical issues during development and confirm readiness for bulk production. Communicate development status, risks, and recommendations clearly to cross-functional partners. Maintain accurate fabric specifications, development records, and approval documentation. Provide technical guidance and improve processes to support efficient, consistent development.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Textile Science, Textile Development, Fashion, or related field, or equivalent professional experience
- 8+ years of experience in apparel fabric development or sourcing, with demonstrated ownership of seasonal and in-season development
- Strong technical knowledge of fibers, yarns, fabric construction, dyeing, printing, and finishing
- Strong eye for fabric trends and ability to translate new ideas into commercially viable products
- Experience managing mills and delivering developments within short lead times
- Experience sourcing and developing both fashion-driven and technically complex fabrics
- Experience working within a high-growth, fast-paced, product-driven organization
- Understanding of fabric costing, testing, quality standards, and production requirements
- Strong communication, negotiation, organization, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage overlapping seasonal calendars and adjust priorities as business needs evolve
- Proficiency in PLM systems, Microsoft Excel, and development tracking tools
