Overview

Position Title:Fabric Trend Sourcing Assistant

Company:Marks and Spencer

Location:Reading, England, UK

Job Description:

Assist the fabric trend sourcer in working alongside the creative trend & colour team to use key market fabric trends and create a commercial vision in line with the business’s commercial needs & overall strategy.

Responsibilities:

  • Build excellent relationships with Central Fabric technologists, Buying, Design and Technical teams driving fabric excitement and trends whilst adhering to new ways of working and in line with the Design Brief, marketing and innovation priorities.
  • Work collaboratively with the Trend & Colour team to ensure joined up Macro & Seasonal Trends which identify key headline Fabric directions and key opportunities.
  • Work in collaboration with the Waterside Sourcing Team, the Fabric Technical team and the Sourcing Offices globally to develop appropriate fabric supply routes enabling departments to react to trade.
  • Support the delivery of quality and innovation in line with the fabric / raw material strategy.
  • Support the delivery of business Plan A Sustainability requirement into the department and BU alongside Sustainability and Central
  • Fabric Technologists
  • Build, maintain and take accountability for helping to achieve/exceed margin, whilst driving quality alongside the central Fabric
  • Technical team.
  • Research and identify Fabric Macro Trends across parts of Womenswear and work to support Fabric Trend Sourcer & Trend Lead in the delivery of these. Support the delivery of the BU fabric strategy working with the central fabric technical team driving commercial customer focussed Fabrics trends.
  • Support Fabric Trend Sourcer to deliver updates on fabric trends as appropriate from ongoing research e.g., Catwalk /trades fairs/ market Intel/trend services.
  • Understanding of PLM – pull off information to support fabric aggregation with Fabric Development Technologists

Requirements:

  • Ability to manage departmental data and leverage M&S systems to enable strategic reporting.
  • Excellent communication skills within C&H Technical Function, Design and Buying, Supply Base and Global Sourcing Offices
  • Experienced at mood board creation.
  • Expert in the field of Fabric including manufacturing of fabric / raw materials.
  • Ability to work across multiple sourcing models (M&S designed, Supplier designed)
  • Good understanding of global retail marketplace to identify relevant fabric trends’
  • Multi tasked orientated working to tight deadlines, understanding when to take decisions and when to seek guidance.
  • CAD skills for artwork creation – Ability to commission, design and amend lace, cads for seasonal newness.
  • The ability to use Shima & Kaledo software, or a keen interest to learn.
  • Ability to learn new technical skills, absorb information and manage own personal development.
  • Knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop, and Acrobat, and Key Office programs, specifically Excel and PowerPoint.

About Marks and Spencer

We hold ourselves to a very high standard here at M&S. That much has never changed. Our attention to detail, forward thinking and passion for improvement has led to the creation of some of the nation’s most loved products. But a rapidly changing world demands that we change along with it.