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

- 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 solid 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.

/n /n /n Key Responsibilities /n 1.

Creative

Direction & Trend Strategy /n /n

- 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.

/n /n /n 2. Market & Consumer Insights /n /n

- 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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Range

Planning & Collection Development /n /n





- 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 clear 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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Textile

Innovation & Product Development /n /n

- 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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Product

Engineering & Cost Management /n /n

- 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.

/n /n /n 6. Sampling & Development Process /n /n

- 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 .

/n /n /n 7. Team Leadership & Cross-functional Coordination /n /n

- 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 /n /n

- 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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Production

Handover & Launch Readiness /n /n

- 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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Brand

Building & Creative Communication /n /n

- 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 .

/n /n /n Qualifications & Experience /n Education /n Bachelor’s Degree in Design (preferably from National Institute of Fashion Technology ) or equivalent. /n Experience /n /n

- 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

/n /n /n Key Skills & Competencies /n Creative & Design Skills /n /n

- 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

/n /n Commercial & Strategic Skills /n /n

- 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

/n /n Leadership & Collaboration /n /n

- Team leadership and mentorship

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- Cross-functional coordination

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- Strong communication and presentation skills

/n /n Technical Knowledge /n /n

- 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

/n /n /n Interested candidates please share resume at [email protected]

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