Renu Chawla

RENU CHAWLA Mobile: - E-Mail:-,- AN ACCOMPLISHED SENIOR MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL: OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Post Graduate Diploma in Garment Manufacturing Technology from NIFT, offering over 20 years of comprehensive experience in Garment Business with specialisation in Start-up initiation, Sourcing, Merchandising, Product Development, Techno-commercial Operations and Buyer Management PROFILE SUMMARY Acquired strong exposure in Garment Merchandising, Buying & Sourcing for Men’s Wear, Ladies Wear, Kids Wear, Fashion Accessories and Home Furnishings of leading private & international brands in Apparel industry Proficient in effectively managing operations, merchandising spanning requirement analysis, sampling, sourcing, managing pre-production activities such as approvals fits, sourcing of fabrics, trims & accessories, production, inspection of samples & finished products, dispatch and effective liaison. Initiating a Start-up, running it and successfully engendering profits from it. Expertise in leading product design / development projects & ensuring compliance with quality standards & export requirements Strong understanding of preferences, differences and similarities of customers; familiar with a wide range of products from basic to high fashion garments; knowledge of knits, woven (handloom, power loom & mill made) and woollen fabrics Demonstrated skills in importing trims from China / Japan and collaborating with clients from USA, UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Japan, South Africa, Spain & Italy Skilled in cementing healthy relationship with business partners; proactive and result-oriented; professional with a sound track record of consistently meeting and exceeding established goals and objectives Goal-driven Manager with exceptional planning, coordination and interpersonal skills coupled with effective skills in leading cross-cultural /multi-lingual teams Adept at creating several exclusive design ranges keeping in mind colour trends and fabric forecasts. Skilled in illustration of garments/home furnishings, as well as, fabric/embroidery designs. Keep a keen eye for detail and juxtapose and match colours with great alacrity and success. Personally advise pattern correction and average consumption of fabrics. CORE COMPETENCIES Developing & implementing strategies for cost effective purchase of raw materials with a reduced delivery time; identifying & developing reliable supplier base with high quality standards of materials Interfacing with buyers to identify specifications for merchandise and offering prices accordingly; improving the buying process & implementing best practices Interacting with key influencers viz. clients & functional departments for ascertaining requirements and delivering presentations & need based product solutions Managing end to end design & development of samples as per buyer requirements and obtaining approvals from them; coordinating with designers and presenting fresh collections based on seasonal forecasts Receiving enquiry/ sampling program from Buying House / Buyer and carrying out costing of designs; monitoring consistent matching of prices with set targets of buyer Coordinating with Production Department and updating the status of production to the client on a weekly basis; randomly checking the finished products with regard to specification of the buyer; negotiating contract proposals and re-determining prices Launching domestic brands, trade name registration and marketing of styles across states Establishing harmonious relations with various international buyers for profitable product merchandising; acting as an interface between the buyer and vendors to ensure that the production schedule is met Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements as laid down under different acts ORGANISATIONAL EXPERIENCE Since Jul’02: Woven Dreams, NOIDA as Director Buyers Handled: GVS International, Fais moi une Fleur, Lipsy, Lulu TanTan, Jocelyn Inc., Sandy Starkman, Habits, Phoeme, Anaura Designs, Aida Sanchez, Role: Key driver of production operations entailing development & execution of production plans, estimation and procurement of resources and manpower required during the process Setting production volumes / targets as per market to ensure smooth production process and timely delivery Steering merchandising for high fashion small orders, from sample approval to final order delivery for high fashion styles from buyers like, etc. Coordinating with Purchase Department for raw material (fabric and trims) procurement, dyeing & printing, checking of quantum’s and lot segregation, special fabric weaving / printing, testing requirements and analysis of pre-production processes Heading effective planning, scheduling and executing maintenance (preventive, predictive & breakdown) for all production and utility equipment, thus achieving improved operational efficiency and optimum resource utilisation Comprehending fashion forecast for buyers, designing collections, making presentations at meetings, showcasing collections, proposing new avenues, introducing new categories that could be sourced, getting order confirmations from buyer on new designs / developments Aiming towards increasing the customer profile of the company; liaising with the buying houses to collate insight into customer needs and areas of growth Mapping various merchandising aspects of new orders from sampling, work-study, costing, etc. Ensuring effective planning of T&As and WIP for sampling for meeting the set targets Assessing the feasibility of and integrating design and cost effectiveness for developing right initial samples Harmonising with the buyers’ design team to give technical support for their new concepts Working on new print & embroidery for value addition, creating print & embroidery designs as per buyer requirements Suggesting and promoting new laundering and finishes as value addition on garments Highlights: Successfully managed complete merchandising operations including costing and sourcing of outsourced fabric, accessories & trims in line with quality & cost parameters Launched new products by streamlining systems and procedures Domestic brand launching, designing, promotions, marketing, distributer networking and trade registrations Played a stellar role in enhancing efficiency and productivity through effective measures Jun’00-Jul’02: Shama International, Delhi as Senior Merchandiser Buyers Handled: Pier1 Imports, East, Senior & CIE, Tracy Reece, Just B and Pomodoro Role: Liaised with the Designing Team on product developments Presented new grids including seasonal collections, fabric, trims, prints & wash developments to present to new buyers Deciphered buyer packs and worked closely with their designers Handled buyer meets, sample display and showroom layout Collaborated with all support departments on material sourcing (fabric and trims), R&D for product execution and flow Steered pre-production activities entailing shade segregation, blanket making, shrinkage test, report analysis, approvals and control of aberrations Supervised review and approvals for garment and enzyme wash, made TNA and updated WIP Ensured effective coordination between washing / garment processing, printing, hand embroidery, machine embroidery, computer embroidery, sequin embroidery and production flow Visited the sub-contractor factories to ensure the quality, timely inspection and shipments; involved in shipment follows up / shipment space booking follow up PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Apr’93-May’98Swaran Exports, Delhi Growth Path: Apr’93-Oct’93Assistant Merchandiser Oct’93-May’98Merchandiser Buyers Handled: TJ Maxx, Walmart, Empire Stores, QVC and HSN OTHER EXPERIENCE May 1991-Apr 1992P.T College, Meerut as Botany, Zoology and English Teacher ACADEMIC DETAILS 2000Post Graduate Diploma in Garment Manufacturing Technology from National Institute of Fashion Management (NIFT), Chennai 1991B.Sc. from Meerut University, Meerut 1993B.Ed. from Meerut University, Meerut INTERNSHIP DETAILS SM Apparels, Vellacherry, Chennai Buyer: Columbia Sports Corporation, Timberland PROJECT Title:Optimisation of CAD Organisation:Gupta Garments IT SKILLS MS Word, Access, Excel, Outlook ,PowerPoint and Internet Networking Adobe Photoshop Date of Birth: 18/03/1969 Languages Known: English, Hindi Address: D - 71, Sector - 40, NOIDA – 201301, UP, India Industry Preference: Apparel /Home Furnishings /Fashion Accessories/ Retail