Garment Technologist

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Garment Technologist

Reports to: Head of Product and Technical Services

Based: London

Salary: £k - depending upon experience

COMPANY PROFILE

Orlebar Brown (Chanel group) launched in March 2007 as a more tailored approach to men’s beach and swim shorts. Based on the traditional pattern of a tailored pair of trousers for men, and with their distinctive side fasteners, they are not just a swim short; they are the original and best shorts you can swim in.

Today, our collections are built into broader lifestyles imagined around Beach, Resort, Coast and Sport. We have multiple product releases, including capsules, new categories and services, over the calendar year to maintain excitement, and interest for our customers.

Since 2007, we have built the brand to achieve our stated purpose which is - to encourage, excite and inspire everyone to ‘Holiday Better’. This is our purpose and why we get out of bed every morning.

The brand has rapidly gained global recognition and is sold through online, more than 30 O.B. stores, and the best retailers and hoteliers in the world. Our customer is truly international, so whether they are in St Barth’s for Christmas with family, Miami for a wild Spring break, a conference in Dubai with a few days off, tacking a boat off the coast of St Tropez, volunteering to replant mangrove plantations in Puerto Rico, walking along a cliff top in Cornwall, or diving off one into a beautiful blue ocean then O.B. should be there to help you do it better.

Our business is built on relationships with those customers, and we strive to maintain our relationship with them, wherever they might be, and provide world class service, when and where they want. It is also built on finding new customers to the brand by welcoming them to join the ever-growing O.B. community.

THE POSITION:

This full-time position is an opportunity for an enthusiastic, hard working, methodical individual looking to really make their mark within a fast-paced, young and rapidly expanding luxury lifestyle brand as Garment Technologist.

Reporting to the Head of Product and Technical Services, you will be working between the Design, Development and Production teams to ensure all products are sealed on time according to the critical path and quality standards are clearly communicated to and achieved by all suppliers.

You will work daily on a range of tasks including tracking all stages of garment and accessory development for your categories, establishing and approving graded spec charts, managing the prototype and pre-production fitting and sealing process. You will also oversee the fabric and trim testing, Shipment Sample and AQL inspection process for your categories, offering guidance on quality levels.

This role is central to the smooth running of the sealing process and quality management and an integral part of the Development and Supply Chain teams.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

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.

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.

CANDIDATE PROFILE:

Your key skills and attributes will include:

• Passionate about your work with an eye for detail and accuracy.
• Logically minded.
• Previous experience with Clo3D softwear is an advantage.
• Ability to travel to suppliers seasonally to work through development, production and review the AQL process as a when required.
• Enjoy working as part of a team and want to contribute to processes, which might enable others to fulfil their roles within the organisation.
• Self-starter who is motivated with a disciplined approach to problem solving.

For further information, please contact James Swinden at james@orlebarbrown.com