An interview with Masood Talari
Masood Talari has made a career of ensuring that the highest quality standards are achieved on a variety of textiles and apparel. Since 2024, he holds a key role as quality control inspector at Arc’teryx Equipment Inc., an outdoor sports equipment and clothing manufacturer located in North Vancouver, BC.
He is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the manufacturer’s exceptionally high standards of quality are met before products can be shipped to dealers and customers.
Indeed, Arc’teryx has a well-deserved reputation for high quality in its designs and in its choice of materials. Testing is performed during the development process of course, but further testing is performed at the end of the production line before a product can be deemed worthy of the brand’s quality expectations. These end-of-line tests for which Talari is responsible include, for example, water leakage testing for waterproof garments.
Years of hands-on experience working in materials testing and the apparel industry, combined with deep knowledge of quality management, have prepared Talari well for this role. He puts his master’s degree in textile engineering to good use daily to the benefit of outdoor enthusiasts worldwide.
Masood Talari, Quality Control Inspector, Arc’teryx Equipment Inc.
When asked about the textile industry, Talari “[has] observed a much stronger focus on technical performance testing and a shift toward ensuring product durability to extend life cycles”. (Ed. Note: This suggests a good step on the part of manufacturers in the journey towards greater sustainability.)
“An inspector must possess technical proficiency in fabric performance, strong analytical skills for root cause troubleshooting, and a high level of detail-oriented acuity during raw material inspections to catch defects early.”
A deep understanding of chemical and fibre science, mastery of quality assurance techniques for raw material evaluation, and practical knowledge of operational efficiency standards like Six Sigma and production line integration are required knowledge to be effective as a quality control inspector. As quality is always dependent on the work of all those involved in building the products, effective communication and cross-functional teamwork are also very important skills for a quality controller.
For those wishing to enter the field of textile quality control, Talari recommends to, “learn the basics of how fabrics are made and focus on how to test them for quality; it is also important to learn how to catch mistakes early before the clothes are actually manufactured.”
In his spare time, Talari spends time outdoors to stay active, and enjoys exploring new technologies and learning something new every day.
Connect with Masood Talari on LinkedIn here: linkedin.com/in/masood-talari