Working Pattern: Typically 5 days in the office, with flexible core hours between 8am–6pm.
The Role
We are looking for a unique hybrid: a trend-driven textile expert who lives for yarns and textures, but possesses the commercial savvy to source them at scale. As our Senior Fabric Trend & Material Developer , you will sit at the intersection of design and sourcing, interpreting future fabric directions and partnering with global mills to bring them to life for Next!
By scouting the globe for the latest fabric developments, you will directly influence the tactile feel, quality, and aesthetic of thousands of Menswear products. You will work hand-in-hand with our fast-paced Menswear Design, Buying, and Technical teams, as well as an established network of global mills. From day one, Next offers a supportive environment with tailored onboarding and peer-to-peer mentoring to help you immerse yourself in our culture, understand our unique customer base, and thrive.
What You’ll Take On
- Scout and Source: Exhaustive research, attend major global trade fairs (e.g., Paris, Shanghai, London Textile Fair), and visit mills to continuously gather inspiration and source new fabrics.
- Drive Trend innovation: Translate global macro-trends into directional menswear fabric concepts, collaborating across Design, Buying, and senior management to pitch and present seasonal material strategies
- Build Global Networks: Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with a diverse base of fabric mills and garment suppliers across multiple regions.
- Ensure Commercial Viability: Partner with product teams to discuss specific fabric requirements, ensuring all sourced materials align with Next's strict quality standards, price points, and delivery timelines.
What You’ll Bring
- Creative Background: Experience as a Designer or Creative Buyer with a natural love for fabric and a passion for bringing material innovation to life.
- Industry Experience: A proven track record in fabric sourcing, design, or development for a UK high street brand, retailer, or garment supplier. We are eager to hear from specialists in Menswear or Womenswear who are excited to apply their expertise to our male apparel divisions.
- Product Aesthetic & Expertise: A deep understanding of fabric types and evolving trends, with a sharp eye for how they translate into the contemporary Menswear market.
- Strong Foundations: Ideally, a degree in Woven Textiles (or a related discipline) paired with an established mill network.
- Communication & Influence: The ability to communicate ideas clearly and passionately, building trusted relationships with both internal teams and external global suppliers.
- Organisation & Adaptability: Excellent organisational skills to manage multiple seasonal deadlines at once, alongside a genuine passion for trend research and international travel.
Portfolios
To help us get a feel for your style, please attach a digital portfolio to your application. We’re looking for work that demonstrates a sharp eye for the future of Menswear apparel, how your fabric choices are commercially viable for Next, alongside showcase designs, trend reports, and relevant CAD work.
Applications without a portfolio will not be considered.
Sponsorship
Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements. For further information please see: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa .
We encourage early applications for our roles, as our recruitment process begins as soon as the role is advertised. If we successfully fill the position, this advert may close earlier than planned.
At NEXT, we believe the best work happens when there are no barriers to collaboration. That’s why we are a Google-powered workspace. From your very first day, you’ll be using the full Google Workspace suite; Docs, Drive, and Meet, to stay connected and move fast.
If your previous experience is rooted in other software suites, don’t worry! We’ll point you to a digital Google toolkit the moment you join, packed with handy guides and insider tips to help you transition smoothly and hit the ground running.
#LI-Onsite
You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 44,000 people across the Next group. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 450 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 80 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!
