Garment Technician

About the role

Essense of Australia is an international bridal wholesaler with key offices in Lenexa, Kansas; Perth, Australia; and Zug, Switzerland, operating also in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and New Zealand. For over 20 years the company has been a global leader in bridal fashion, with designs sold in nearly 1,000 stores worldwide. The Garment Technician on the US Collections team delivers accurate garment fit, construction, fabric, and quality assessments for collections, ensuring each style meets design and company standards. The role involves daily liaison with Design Development and Sampling teams and international factories, providing fit recommendations, technical direction, and hands‑on quality expertise across the garment life cycle, with up to four international factory trips per year (≈10% of working time).

Responsibilities

• Lead the detailed on‑body review of garments throughout the approval process, confirming that requested design changes have been correctly represented.
• Develop technical packages, including specs, fit comments, pattern correction sketches, grading rules, and fabric and trim requirements.
• Conduct technical inspections of sample garments and communicate clear, detailed instructions to manufacturers and other stakeholders.
• Analyze style instructions and sampling comments to independently determine and communicate technical construction and fabrication decisions.
• Provide technical knowledge and support throughout the garment life cycle to ensure garment quality and consumer satisfaction.
• Travel internationally to factory locations (up to 4 times per year) to execute technical development and quality control checks on new collections.
• Partner with international Product Operations and factory teams to finalize samples and technical packages for production.
• Review bulk production runs to confirm quality, construction, and fabric standards are met before shipment.
• Guide the Alterations team in sample research and development and process complex gown changes with clear factory instruction.
• Lead Showroom Mannequin presentation, owning accurate visual representation of gowns for selling events.
• Support photoshoots as assigned and verify sample accuracy ahead of Line Reviews and other events.
• Communicate with factories on technical and production matters and manage and document samples and the product line.
• Contribute technical knowledge to process improvements, quality control inspections, and reporting.
• Monitor and maintain fit, construction, and workmanship standards, ensuring consistency across all factories.
• Analyze, negotiate, and maintain factory costings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Apparel, Fashion, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in technical design or equivalent required.
• Extensive understanding of garment construction, including sewing, pattern making, and grading, with the ability to create and amend garment specs to achieve the “perfect fit”.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey quality standards and expectations to offshore manufacturers, suppliers, and cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to weigh technical data, garment construction knowledge, and fabrication expertise to make sound, well‑balanced decisions independently.
• Strong working knowledge of garment sampling and production workflows.
• Strong customer service orientation, with a patient, professional demeanor even under pressure.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively via email and video call with international manufacturers, suppliers, and company offices.
• Strong time management skills, with the discipline to consistently meet company deadlines.
• Familiarity with PLM software preferred (Centric).
• Excellent numerical skills and attention to detail, with strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Ability to develop and analyze garment pricing.
• Detail‑oriented and process‑driven, with a strong work ethic and consistently positive attitude.
• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator.
• Flexibility to assist with tasks outside of standard work hours.
• Ability to travel internationally to factory locations, as needed.
• Willingness to learn and thoughtfully apply AI and other emerging tools to enhance efficiency, problem‑solving, and process improvement.
• Ability to regularly lift and carry items weighing up