Marisa Turner
Melbourne,Australia
Summary
Raw Materials Developer and Buyer with extensive experience at Scanlan Theodore, specializing in material sourcing and supplier management. Demonstrated expertise in fabric technology and sustainability, leading to improved product quality and cost savings. Proven ability to establish and maintain strong client relationships while adhering to ethical standards.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Raw Materials Developer and Buyer
Scanlan Theodore
01.2024 - 02.2025
- Collaborated with Gary Theodore and Maria Sita on RTW collection development.
- Onboarded six new fabric suppliers and two garment manufacturers.
- Sourced raw materials, fabric mills, and garment manufacturers in Europe, China, and India.
- Developed new fabrics, selected designs, and negotiated prices to meet margins.
- Mentored production team in liaising with manufacturers, ensuring adherence to timelines.
- Maintained an extensive fabric library and managed all sampling processes.
- Approved lab dips, prints, and embroidery to ensure quality standards.
- Implemented sustainability guide and QC protocols for fabric testing.
Fabric Buyer, Product Developer, Technologist
Country Road Group
01.2023 - 01.2024
- Introduced Australian Cotton into Women’s and Men’s Cut & Sew and Denim collections, achieving all supplier certifications.
- Developed organic cotton/silk blends for both Men’s and Women’s ranges.
- Trained Fabric Tech Assistant and design assistants to enhance team capabilities.
- Sourced and developed fabrics for men’s woven, cut & sew, denim, leather, and women’s denim collections.
- Collaborated with Men’s Wear Designer and Women’s Wear Head of Design on fabric selections for monthly product lines.
- Sourced high-end sustainable fabrics aligned with Country Road's critical path and ethical standards, maintaining KPIs and product margins.
- Monitored development stages of fabrics, ensuring compliance through test reports, lab dips, and approvals.
- Maintained comprehensive records of certifications for raw materials, manufacturing processes, and sustainability practices.
Account Manager/ Production Coordinator
Grupo Castilseras SL
Montecapri/Monteveneto, Spain
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Secured contracts and pricing agreements through strategic negotiations.
- Stimulated growth and increased profits while maximizing client satisfaction and elevating brand profile.
- Conducted extensive market research and onboarded influencers for initial campaigns.
- Collaborated with Director of Sales to identify national and international opportunities.
- Forecasted and tracked key accounts, sales results, competitor activity, and emerging fashion trends.
- Oversaw development and production of leather, eco-leather, and canvas products including wallets, bags, and accessories.
- Recommended and sourced raw materials from Spain, Italy, and Mexico within budgetary constraints.
- Coordinated delivery processes from prototype phase to bulk order completion and logistics.
Product Development/ Production Coordinator
Finatex61 SL
, Spain
01.2020 - 12.2020
- Achieved company margins and target prices for clients including Massimo Dutti and El Corte Inglés.
- Onboarded new client Sezane to expand market presence.
- Negotiated terms to ship goods internationally during COVID, ensuring payment on delivery arrangements.
- Conducted market research and gathered customer feedback for knitwear development with design teams.
- Sourced suitable yarns and trims from Italian, Spanish, and Bulgarian manufacturers, meeting budget requirements.
- Calculated yarn and trim needs for orders, passing purchase orders to suppliers.
- Maintained production orders in line with business needs, ensuring timely updates.
- Monitored production schedules, identified potential delays, and resolved issues with raw materials and specifications.
Buying, Product Development, Management
Luca Cuccolini SL
Toledo, Spain
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Key achievements include negotiated prices, sourced materials, product development and oversaw bulk production of 200K belts in three colors, thousands of meters of lace trims and sew on patches for Zara addressed issues that occurred at every turn, working on Saturdays and to a tight deadline.
- Also formulated and implemented strategies that helped Luca Cuccolini streamline supply chain operations and gain more transparency.
- Improved revenue by onboarding Chinese clients with help from office staff in Shanghai.
- Defined purchasing strategies, led successful negotiations to achieve target prices and delivery dates, maintained production inventories, strengthened supplier relationships.
- Managed the Luca Cuccolini office with two employees for the sourcing and purchasing of trims, buttons, and accessories through the markets and factories in Guangzhou.
- Remained abreast of client demand in global markets by attending and exhibiting at trade fairs Premiere Vision, MOMAD, The London Textile Fair.
- Assumed lead role in researching, assessing, and coordination of product development, while finding ways of improving existing goods to better meet customer needs.
- Handled correspondence with domestic and international customers, including those in Spain, UK, USA, and China.
- Nurtured relationships with clients, Massimo Dutti, Zara, Roberto Verino, Mango, Bimba y Lola, and Karen Millen.
Education
Fashion Buying and Merchandising -
University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion
London, UK01.2017
Textile Design and Development - Humanities
RMIT
Melbourne, AustraliaDigital Marketing for Fashion -
University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion
London, UKFashion and Sustainability -
University of the Arts London: Kering and London College of Fashion
London, UKFashion as Design -
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Innovation in the Fashion Industry -
University of Leeds
UKUnderstanding Colour Perception - Textile Coloration, and Fabric Finishing
RMIT University
Melbourne, AUMarketing for the Fashion Industry -
Polytechnic University of Madrid
ESPSkills
- Material sourcing and supplier management
- Market research, product development and trend analysis
- Quality control and cost negotiation
- Fabric technology and sustainability practices
- Client relationship management
Additional Information
Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), PLM, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, In Design, Apparel21, Native, Fluent, Conversational
Websites
Education And Professional Development
- Textile Design and Development, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia
- Digital Marketing for Fashion, University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion, UK
- Fashion and Sustainability, University of the Arts London: Kering and London College of Fashion, UK
- Fashion as Design, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Innovation in the Fashion Industry, University of Leeds, UK
- Fashion Buying and Merchandising, University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion, UK, 2017
- Understanding Colour Perception, Textile Coloration and Fabric Finishing, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- Marketing for the Fashion Industry, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain
Prior Experience
- Fabric Technical Manager, Country Road, Melbourne, Australia
- Fabric Buyer, BETTINA LIANO, Melbourne, Australia
- Buyer/Sales Manager, Cadena, Madrid, Spain
Timeline
Raw Materials Developer and Buyer
Scanlan Theodore
01.2024 - 02.2025
Fabric Buyer, Product Developer, Technologist
Country Road Group
01.2023 - 01.2024
Account Manager/ Production Coordinator
Grupo Castilseras SL
01.2020 - 01.2022
Product Development/ Production Coordinator
Finatex61 SL
01.2020 - 12.2020
Buying, Product Development, Management
Luca Cuccolini SL
01.2015 - 01.2017
Fashion Buying and Merchandising -
University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion
Textile Design and Development - Humanities
RMIT
Digital Marketing for Fashion -
University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion
Fashion and Sustainability -
University of the Arts London: Kering and London College of Fashion
Fashion as Design -
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Innovation in the Fashion Industry -
University of Leeds
Understanding Colour Perception - Textile Coloration, and Fabric Finishing
RMIT University
Marketing for the Fashion Industry -
Polytechnic University of Madrid
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