While Kat Charrier was a fashion and textile management student, she was also learning about the technical and manufacturing side of the industry. Alongside business classes for her degree concentration in fashion development and product management, she worked in the Spinning Lab in Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) and gaining plenty of hands-on experience.

Located in the Textiles Complex on Centennial Campus, ZTE includes labs specializing in each step of the textile development process, from spinning fiber into yarn, to dyeing and testing materials, to prototyping products. Students get the chance to develop their own work and contribute to real-world projects for industry clients. 

Starting Strong

As a high school student in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Charrier was inspired by a conversation with a textile designer to pursue a career in the field. Charrier’s research into textiles higher education led her to apply to the Wilson College of Textiles for fashion and textile management. 

Charrier also applied for the Centennial Scholarship, a merit-based program that grants students funds to cover their tuition and fees each of their four years. During the application process, she met with Melissa Sharp, associate director of ZTE. 

“I had mentioned to her that I really enjoyed working with machinery and I had fixed machines in high school for other students to use,” Charrier, now a graduate, says. “She basically said, ’Hey, we don’t have any positions open in the laboratories right now, but I’d like to get you on my team.’” 

Her chance conversation with Sharp led to a position in ZTE during her first year in college. Charrier held a office intern job before moving to work in the Prototype Lab. As a senior, she worked in Spinning Lab as a student intern.

Blending Disciplines

Studying fashion development and product management has allowed Charrier to learn about both business and textile production. 

“My classes were a mix between business classes and hands-on sewing studios,” Charrier says. “Not only do you get the background of how to run a business, but you also get the hands-on experience of developing your own products.”

Charrier has a particular passion for practical work. Her minor in textile technology has allowed her to take classes that dive further into the principles of textile technology and the development of textile products. 

“You really learn the nitty gritty of these machines and different fabric structures, and I really enjoy getting to know the ‘why’ behind our fabric,” Charrier says. 

During her shifts in the Spinning Lab, Charrier worked with a range of machinery, including fiber openers, backspinners, twisters and more, each of which play their own important part in yarn production. She worked on prototypes for corporate clients and aided design classes with their projects.

“I really enjoy getting to know the ‘why’ behind our fabric.” 

When clients or other students enter the space, Charrier says she loved to be the one to explain yarn formation processes through the machines in the lab. She gained confidence in explaining the nuances of the machinery through her personal experience. 

“Even though it’s a challenge, it’s exciting to have to speak on it and be confident,” Charrier says.

Charrier emphasized her love for the lab, not only as a workplace, but as somewhere she enjoys spending time. Lab Manager Alisha Spradlin joined the team in the fall of 2025 and has been instrumental in curating that environment.

“She’s really created a space where students feel comfortable and excited to learn,” Charier says.

Moving Forward

In tandem with her interests from her courses at the Wilson College, she hopes to work in a textile mill and promote sustainable practices during production. 

“It has really shown me that there’s so much that needs to be done for textiles, and how the processes some companies use can be so polluting,” Charrier says. “I really want to make a change in the textile industry and to find sustainable processes and sustainable fabrics.”

Charrier’s time in the Spinning Lab has allowed her to hone her path post-graduation, with all the experience and confidence necessary to succeed.