Ark U-Sk

Apparel sourcing and supply chain professional with nearly 20 years of experience spanning product development, global sourcing, production management, and supply chain optimization. Experienced in managing the entire product lifecycle—from material development and supplier selection to production planning, quality improvement, cost negotiation, and on-time delivery. My career spans apparel manufacturers, textile trading companies, and the Japan office of a China-based apparel manufacturer, providing broad experience across both commercial and manufacturing environments.

I have supported major retailers and apparel brands across categories including sports and outdoor apparel, menswear, womenswear, kids wear, workwear, innerwear, and home textiles. I have managed sourcing and production across China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Japan, leading supplier development, factory allocation, quality improvement, and sourcing optimization. By combining technical product knowledge with practical supply chain expertise, I bridge commercial objectives, product requirements, and manufacturing execution to deliver reliable, cost-effective sourcing solutions.

Skilled at building strong partnerships across customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products through efficient, resilient, and commercially sound global supply chains.

Apparel Sales / Product Development / Production Coordination at Handa Textile Co.,ltd (2025-01 – Present)

China-based Cut-and-Sew Manufacturer – Japan Office. Japan-facing commercial and development representative for key apparel accounts, responsible for seasonal product proposals, material development, supplier/factory coordination, production follow-up, delivery control, and quality issue resolution. Managed business with major Japanese retailers and sports/outdoor brands across cut-and-sew and light woven categories, while coordinating production across China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Egypt.

• Developed seasonal concepts, product proposals, and presentation materials tailored to each customer's brand direction and target price architecture
• Proposed materials, performance features, and product specifications while balancing cost, quality, and manufacturability
• Coordinated with factories on sample development, production planning, lead time management, and shipment schedules
• Selected suitable manufacturing partners including printing and secondary processing suppliers
• Investigated quality issues, identified root causes, and implemented corrective / preventive actions in collaboration with QA and factories
• Worked with raw material suppliers to expand development opportunities and strengthen share within key accounts
• Supported factory allocation optimization and production shift initiatives to improve capacity and supply stability

Apparel Sales / Product Development / Production Coordination at Handa Textile Co.,ltd (2025-01 – Present)

• Expanded business with a major sports/outdoor customer from USD 1.2M (15 styles) in one season to USD 4.95M (36 styles) in the following season
• Increased business share within the customer from 4% to 13% through material proposals, stable execution, and supplier collaboration
• Recovered business with a major workwear customer after severe quality issues by redesigning factory process controls and quality management flow; reduced defect rate from 16.2% to 2.8%, contributing to renewed orders and business growth
• Supported category expansion from cut-and-sew into woven items, contributing to year-on-year sales growth with key accounts
• Promoted production shift planning from China to Bangladesh to secure capacity and improve long-term supply competitiveness

Proposal Sales / Sourcing / Production Management for Home Textile Business at Mitsubishi Corporate Fashion Co.,ltd (2022-01 – 2025-12)

An apparel sourcing and supply chain company. Led proposal-based sales and supply chain management for a major Japanese retailer's home textile and bedding category, covering product development, raw material sourcing, production coordination, factory auditing support, traceability requirements, and delivery execution. Managed high-volume programs across overseas production bases, primarily in Vietnam and China.

• Developed product and material proposals for bedding covers and other home textile items based on merchandising direction, pricing, and functional requirements
• Managed sample development, supplier coordination, production follow-up, and delivery execution for large seasonal programs
• Coordinated sourcing of organic cotton and recycled synthetic materials, including traceability-related requirements
• Supported factory audits and compliance-related actions, including preparation aligned with retailer and third-party standards
• Investigated production / quality issues at both factory and raw material level, and built revised action plans and delivery recovery schedules
• Worked cross-functionally with apparel and home teams to promote shared material development opportunities

Proposal Sales / Sourcing / Production Management for Home Textile Business at Mitsubishi Corporate Fashion Co.,ltd (2022-01 – 2025-12)

• Managed MUJI's home textile programs, including up to 1.417 million units / 7 series of bedding cover products delivered without major operational disruption
• Drove strong business growth in the assigned category, contributing to a 747.9% year-on-year increase in category sales during one fiscal year
• Achieved JPY 2.26B in sales and JPY 70M in gross profit in FY2025 for assigned business
• Improved profitability despite customer inventory adjustments and direct-trade expansion by broadening category scope and improving gross margin mix
• Built practical experience in combining commercial proposal work with traceability, audit, sourcing, and supply execution requirements

Production Management / Direct Trading Sales at World Production Partners Co.,ltd (2014-01 – 2021-12)

World Group Trading Company. Started in production management for women's apparel brands, then moved into direct-trade proposal sales and production control for men's and kids' brands. Responsible for factory sourcing, raw material coordination, sample and production follow-up, cost and delivery control, import operations, and factory management across China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan.

Production Management – Women's Fashion Brands at World Production Partners Co.,ltd (2014-01 – 2017-12)

Managed production for department-store and specialty-store women's brands across woven, knit, and cut-and-sew categories.

• Factory sourcing and selection, material collection, and development coordination
• Production planning, sample follow-up, bulk production management, and trim/material control
• Cost negotiation, delivery management, and import/export coordination
• On-site communication with domestic and overseas factories to support quality and delivery execution

Production Management – Women's Fashion Brands at World Production Partners Co.,ltd (2014-01 – 2017-12)

• Managed 474 styles and JPY 538M in sales during the final year in this role
• Achieved 0.8% late delivery rate versus team average of 3.9%
• Contributed JPY 473M in new factory development volume, supporting supply base expansion

Direct Trading Proposal Sales / Production Control at World Production Partners Co.,ltd (2017-01 – 2021-12)

Handled direct-trade business for men's casual brands and a kids wear e-commerce brand, covering both customer-facing proposal work and supply chain execution.

• Product and material proposals, factory allocation, and order execution planning
• Raw material sourcing, production scheduling, cost control, and delivery management
• Import coordination, shipment arrangement, and factory communication
• Internal exhibition planning and team progress management

Direct Trading Proposal Sales / Production Control at World Production Partners Co.,ltd (2017-01 – 2021-12)

• Delivered JPY 449M sales / JPY 41.6M gross profit in FY2019, with gross profit achievement at 159.2% vs. plan
• Delivered JPY 470M sales / JPY 43.8M gross profit in FY2020
• Maintained JPY 486.9M gross profit level and 10.61% gross margin in FY2021 despite COVID-related business pressure
• Recognized with top internal performance ratings, including S and AA evaluations

Graphic Designer / Product Planning Sales / Production Management at Outburn Co.,ltd (2005-01 – 2014-12)

Apparel Manufacturer / Wholesaler company. Started career in graphic design and product planning for licensed men's apparel sold through mass retail channels, then expanded into proposal sales and production management for casual fashion brands. Built a foundation in product creation, specification work, sourcing, cost control, and factory communication.

• Graphic design proposals, apparel design, artwork creation, and specification sheet preparation
• Sample review, bulk production approval, and production follow-up
• Material sourcing and product planning proposals for casual fashion brands
• Cost management, delivery scheduling, import coordination, and overseas factory communication

Diploma in Apparel Design – Bunka Fashion College (2002-01 – 2005-12)

High School Diploma – Tokyo Metropolitan Komaba High School (1999-01 – 2002-12)