Job Description

Role Overview

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The Creative Lead – Western Wear will define and drive the creative vision, textile innovation, and product development strategy across men’s, women’s, and kids’ western wear categories .

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The role translates brand ethos, craft heritage, and contemporary trends into commercially viable collections , ensuring alignment with merchandising strategy, costing targets, and business objectives .

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The position leads a cross-functional team of textile designers, fashion designers, and product development merchants , guiding the entire process from conceptualisation and trend direction to range development, costing alignment, jury presentation, and final product handover for production and launch .

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Position Objective

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- Provide creative leadership and strategic design direction for the western wear categories.
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- Drive innovative textile and apparel design development aligned with Fabindia’s craft heritage and market positioning.
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- Ensure commercially successful collections through strong range planning, costing discipline, and trend relevance .
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- Lead end-to-end design processes , including concept development, sampling, range presentation, and production handover.
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- Manage and mentor design and product development teams to deliver high-quality, timely collections.
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Key Responsibilities

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1. Creative Direction & Trend Strategy

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- Define the seasonal creative vision for western wear across categories.
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- Lead trend research including colour, fabric, silhouette, craft, and surface development trends.
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- Translate fashion trends and indigenous craft narratives into relevant seasonal themes.
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- Develop seasonal design strategy documents outlining concept, colour palette, materials, and styling direction.
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- Ensure creative consistency across all product categories while maintaining brand identity.
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2. Market & Consumer Insights

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- Conduct market visits and competitor mapping to understand product positioning and design opportunities.
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- Analyse consumer behaviour, sales feedback, and retail insights to guide design decisions.
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- Review previous season sell-through reports to identify successful products and areas of improvement.
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- Collaborate with PH’s, sales, retail, and merchandising teams to incorporate market intelligence into product development.
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3.



Range Planning & Collection Development

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- Lead seasonal range development across categories based on option plans and business targets .
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- Develop range architecture ensuring balance across price points, categories, and styles.
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- Create range projection sheets with explicit design direction and commercial viability.
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- Oversee concept boards, mood boards, colour stories, and styling narratives for each collection.
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4. Textile Innovation & Product Development

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- Guide textile designers in developing fabrics, prints, weaves, and craft techniques aligned with seasonal themes.
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- Work with artisans and sourcing teams to develop unique textile bases and surface treatments .
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- Ensure textile innovation while maintaining cost feasibility and scalability .
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5. Product Engineering & Cost Management

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- Work closely with PD merchants and scm teams to align product development with target costing and margin expectations .
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- Ensure product engineering and value optimisation without compromising design integrity.
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- Review first costings and BOM details to ensure alignment with business margins.
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- Guide teams on material selection, construction methods, and finishes to achieve desired cost and quality.
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6. Sampling & Development Process

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- Oversee sample development across categories , ensuring design accuracy and quality.
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- Manage fit development, pattern approvals, and construction detailing .
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- Coordinate with PD teams to ensure timely development and sampling schedules .
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- Approve final prototypes before production readiness .
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7. Team Leadership & Cross-functional Coordination

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- Lead and mentor textile designers, fashion designers, and PD merchants .
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- Facilitate effective collaboration between design, merchandising, sourcing, and production teams .
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- Ensure clear communication of design intent and technical details throughout the development process.
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- Manage timelines and deliverables across the design lifecycle.
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Range Presentation & Jury Preparation

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- Prepare seasonal range presentations for internal design and merchandising reviews.
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- Lead jury preparation including curated collections, storytelling, mood boards, and key styles.
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- Present design concepts, innovation, and product strategy to leadership and buying teams .
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- Refine collections based on jury feedback and business alignment .
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9. Production Handover & Launch Readiness

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- Ensure complete design documentation and spec sheets for production teams.
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- Oversee the handover process from design to production ensuring clarity in fabrics, trims, finishes, and technical details.
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- Monitor initial production samples to maintain design intent and quality standards.
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10. Brand Building & Creative Communication

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- Collaborate with marketing teams on seasonal storytelling and brand narratives .
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- Support development of lookbooks, campaign direction, and styling guidance .
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- Contribute to visual merchandising concepts and retail storytelling .
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Qualifications & Experience

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Education

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Bachelor’s Degree in Design (preferably from National Institute of Fashion Technology ) or equivalent.

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Experience

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- 12–15 years of experience in western apparel design and product development
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- Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary design teams
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- Strong exposure to textile development and craft-based design
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Key Skills & Competencies

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Creative & Design Skills

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- Strong western design sensibility and textile understanding
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- Ability to translate craft heritage into modern fashion
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- Expertise in trend forecasting and range building
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Commercial & Strategic Skills

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- Understanding of fashion business and merchandising strategies
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- Ability to balance creativity with cost and margin targets
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- Strong range planning and product architecture capability
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Leadership & Collaboration

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- Team leadership and mentorship
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- Cross-functional coordination
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- Strong communication and presentation skills
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Technical Knowledge

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- Textile development and surface design
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- Garment construction and product engineering
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- Sampling and fit development
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- Costing and margin management
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Interested candidates please share resume at

📌 Creative Lead - Western Wear (India)
🏢 FABINDIA
📍 India