Fabric Development & Sourcing Manager

Company Overview

Qua is a premium women's western wear brand focused on creating modern workwear and occasionwear for ambitious women. The company is dedicated to delivering high-quality, stylish apparel that meets the needs of contemporary professional women.

Job Summary

The Fabric Development & Sourcing Manager will build and lead a world-class fabric sourcing and development function that accelerates product development, ensures superior fabric quality, and supports reliable scaling. This high-impact role collaborates closely with design, product development, and production teams to drive fabric innovation and sourcing excellence, directly contributing to the brand’s growth and product success.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the design team to identify suitable fabrics for each silhouette and product category.
• Translate design concepts into detailed technical fabric requirements, including composition, GSM (grams per square meter), stretch, recovery, drape, handfeel, and performance.
• Develop and source premium suiting fabrics, structured fabrics, and high-quality knit fabrics.
• Identify fabric innovations and new developments relevant to premium women's western wear.
• Build and manage a strong supplier network across India and internationally, including sourcing from mills, manufacturers, and traders while balancing quality, cost, minimum order quantity (MOQ), and lead times.
• Develop sourcing capabilities in global markets, particularly China, and establish backup suppliers and alternate sourcing routes for key fabric categories.
• Ensure rapid turnaround of swatches, lab dips, strike-offs, and sample yardage to support sampling and product development.
• Work with suppliers to reduce development timelines and improve responsiveness.
• Support design and merchandising teams in fabric selection decisions during collection development.
• Evaluate fabrics for shrinkage, pilling, color fastness, stretch recovery, dimensional stability, seam performance, and overall durability.
• Ensure all fabrics are bulk-ready before production approval and troubleshoot fabric-related issues during sampling and production.
• Build and maintain a fabric library with approved fabrics, suppliers, specifications, costs, MOQs, and lead times.
• Create category-wise fabric standards and selection guidelines.
• Establish testing and approval processes for all key fabric categories.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Textile Engineering, Fashion Technology, Apparel Design, or a related field.
• 8–15 years of experience in fabric development, fabric sourcing, textile development, or related functions.
• Experience in premium apparel, women's western wear, export houses, buying houses, or leading fashion brands.
• Strong expertise with suiting fabrics and premium knit fabrics.
• Deep understanding of fabric construction, composition, GSM, finishing, dyeing, performance testing, and quality parameters.
• Strong knowledge of woven and knit fabric categories.
• Ability to diagnose and solve fabric performance issues.
• Comprehensive understanding of fabric development from concept through bulk production.
• Strong supplier network within India.
• Experience sourcing fabrics internationally, especially from China, is highly preferred.
• Ability to identify and onboard new suppliers and mills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Highly organized and execution-focused.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to make quick decisions under tight development timelines.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with fabric innovation trends and sustainable textile developments.
• Experience in building and managing fabric libraries and establishing fabric standards.
• Knowledge of global sourcing logistics and compliance.
• Proficiency in fabric testing methodologies and quality assurance processes.

Experience

• 8 to 15 years of relevant experience in fabric development, sourcing, or textile-related roles within premium apparel or fashion brands.

Environment

• Based at Qua’s office located at 736, Udyog Vihar Phase 5, Gurgaon, India.
• Collaborative work environment involving close interaction with design, product development, and production teams.
• Fast-paced, entrepreneurial setting requiring agility and strong execution capabilities.

Success in This Role

Within the first 12 months, the successful candidate will:

• Build a robust fabric library for core product categories.
• Reduce fabric sourcing and development timelines.
• Establish a strong domestic and international supplier network.
• Improve fabric quality consistency across collections.
• Enable faster sampling and smoother bulk execution.