Muhammad Arafat Hossain
Sourcing | Apparel Buying | Product Development & Sample coordinator
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About
Managed product development and merchandising activities from concept through production for major retail programs.
Experience
Buying, Merchandising & Sourcing Specialist at Iconic Apparel House (2024-04 – Present)
Managed product development and merchandising activities from concept through production for major retail programs.
- Supported assortment decisions by evaluating market trends, customer demand, product positioning, and pricing opportunities.
- Achieved 15% cost savings through vendor negotiations and pricing strategy development.
- Reduced lead times by 20% through effective coordination of product lifecycle activities from trend forecasting to bulk production.
- Collaborated with buyers, sourcing teams, and production partners to develop commercially viable product assortments.
- Launched eco-conscious collections that increased sustainable product offerings by 30%.
- Conducted competitive market reviews and supplier evaluations to identify product and sourcing opportunities.
- Maintained product development timelines and ensured successful execution across multiple seasonal programs.
- Ensured compliance with quality standards and sustainability requirements, contributing to a 95% on-time delivery rate.
Product Development & Sourcing Specialist at GTIG HUBO (2017-05 – 2023-02)
Supported fast-fashion programs for Zara, Ardene, Macy's and Undiz from development through production.
- Partnered with buyers and product teams on seasonal product development, assortment execution, and sourcing strategies.
- Analyzed trends, materials, pricing, and production capabilities to support product decisions.
- Strengthened vendor partnerships across Asia and Europe, increasing production scalability by 20%.
- Directed product lifecycle management using ERP and PLM systems, improving sample-to-production transition time by 15%.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure product readiness and successful seasonal launches.
- Implemented sustainable sourcing initiatives that reduced environmental impact by 40%.
Buyer, Product Development at SQ Group (2014-04 – 2017-05)
Supported seasonal collection development through product planning, sourcing, costing, and production coordination.
- Managed product costing and budget alignment while maintaining buyer expectations and margin objectives.
- Coordinated proto, fit, and pre-production samples, achieving a 95% first-pass approval rate.
- Improved delivery timelines by 18% through proactive production tracking and supplier communication.
- Worked closely with buyers and product teams to execute assortment and product development strategies.
- Contributed to the successful launch of more than 10 seasonal collections.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Fashion/Apparel Design – BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology
