Job title: Cloth & Trims Buyer
Reporting to: Production Manager
Hours of work: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
Role Overview
The Cloth & Trims Buyer is responsible for the end-to-end sourcing, purchasing and coordination of all fabrics, trims and raw materials required for both product development and bulk production.
Working closely with Product Development, Production, Merchandising and external suppliers, the role ensures materials are available in line with seasonal critical paths, while maintaining the highest standards of quality, accuracy and cost efficiency.
This role is pivotal in supporting the successful delivery of Drake’s collections by managing supplier relationships, monitoring material availability, coordinating approvals and logistics, and maintaining accurate purchasing and inventory data across internal systems. The successful candidate will be highly organised, commercially aware and proactive, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced luxury fashion environment.
Key Responsibilities
Supplier & Purchasing Management
- Manage the end-to-end procurement of all fabrics, trims and raw materials for both sampling and bulk production.
- Raise and manage all purchase orders with cloth and trim suppliers, ensuring accuracy, timely placement and cost control.
- Act as the primary point of contact for fabric and trim suppliers, building strong working relationships and ensuring effective communication.
- Obtain and negotiate pricing where appropriate, ensuring all commercial information is accurately recorded.
Material Planning & Inventory
- Coordinate the ordering and availability of all raw materials in line with seasonal development and production critical paths.
- Work closely with the Product Development team to forecast seasonal fabric requirements and place forward orders.
- Maintain accurate raw material trackers, monitoring stock levels, deliveries, allocations and warehouse locations.
- Ensure raw materials are correctly allocated and split by production destination, coordinating physical shipments to manufacturing partners as required.
Critical Path & Supplier Coordination
- Monitor supplier lead times and delivery schedules to ensure materials arrive in line with production requirements.
- Chase and coordinate approvals for lab dips, strike-offs, trims and sample lengths, ensuring approvals are obtained within critical path deadlines.
- Track all purchase orders from placement through to delivery, proactively communicating any delays, risks or changes to relevant stakeholders.
- Escalate supply chain issues promptly and recommend suitable alternatives where necessary to minimise production disruption.
Systems & Administration
- Maintain accurate fabric, trim and component records across Zedonk, Tracker and any other internal systems.
- Ensure all purchase, pricing and supplier information is up to date and accurately recorded.
- Maintain a comprehensive trim archive and support the organisation of fabric and trim libraries.
- Produce and maintain reports relating to raw material status, deliveries and production priorities.
Logistics
- Coordinate inbound and outbound logistics for fabrics and trims, ensuring shipments are delivered accurately and on time.
- Work closely with freight partners, suppliers and internal teams to ensure efficient movement of raw materials.
Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with Product Development, Production, Merchandising and Warehouse teams to ensure raw materials are available to meet sampling and production deadlines.
- Provide regular updates on material availability, supplier performance and any risks impacting the production schedule.
Experience & Skills
- Previous experience in a Cloth Buyer, Trims Buyer, Raw Materials Buyer, Production Buying or similar role within the fashion, apparel or luxury goods industry.
- Experience managing the procurement of fabrics, trims and raw materials for both product development and bulk production.
- Experience working with domestic and international suppliers and manufacturers.
- Strong understanding of garment production processes and critical path management.
- Experience using ERP or PLM systems (such as Zedonk) and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, both internally and externally.
- Strong negotiation and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, with confidence working across multiple systems.
- Ability to analyse information and make commercially sound decisions.
Desirable
- Experience working within a luxury fashion or premium apparel brand.
- Knowledge of Zedonk or similar ERP/PLM systems.
- Experience working with UK and overseas manufacturing partners.
- Understanding of import/export documentation and international shipping processes.