By Sarah Stone<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exploring with the world\u2019s top climbers, creating custom apparel for outdoor athletes and influencing the products that end up on The North Face\u2019s shelves \u2014 these are just a few of the responsibilities Bonny Allison carries out as a senior materials developer. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy favorite thing about The North Face is our connection to our athletes. We have a world class athlete team, and we build premium products specific to their needs. It\u2019s incredible, the things these people achieve, honestly,\u201d Allison, who holds a B.S. in fashion and textile design<\/a> from the Wilson College of Textiles, says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2017 graduate spends most of her time as a senior materials developer executing the \u201cfabric commercialization process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what exactly does that mean? Designers and category managers brief Allison on the type of garment or product they\u2019re looking to make, the price range and the general aesthetic vision. She\u2019s in charge of developing the custom material and fabric for that product, while considering technical performance needs, testing, sustainability and sourcing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love that I get to work cross functionally with teams to create great products in the end,\u201d Allison says. \u201cIt’s creative and solution oriented, but also has a huge technical component as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This intersection between the technical and the creative is what drew Allison to the Wilson College in the first place. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI actually learned about it through a family friend. Their kids went through the programs in the department of textile engineering, chemistry and science<\/a>. I was interested in math and science but also had this creative side,\u201d Allison, who chose a concentration in textile design, remembers. \u201cWhen I heard about the new fashion and textile design program coming up that was a Bachelor of Science degree, it piqued my interest immediately.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
More specifically, Allison often pulls from the lessons she learned in Professor Blan Godfrey<\/a>\u2019s entrepreneurship class. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy favorite thing about The North Face is our connection to our athletes. We have a world class athlete team, and we build premium products specific to their needs. It\u2019s incredible, the things these people achieve, honestly,\u201d Allison, who holds a B.S. in fashion and textile design<\/a> from the Wilson College of Textiles, says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2017 graduate spends most of her time as a senior materials developer executing the \u201cfabric commercialization process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what exactly does that mean? Designers and category managers brief Allison on the type of garment or product they\u2019re looking to make, the price range and the general aesthetic vision. She\u2019s in charge of developing the custom material and fabric for that product, while considering technical performance needs, testing, sustainability and sourcing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love that I get to work cross functionally with teams to create great products in the end,\u201d Allison says. \u201cIt's creative and solution oriented, but also has a huge technical component as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This intersection between the technical and the creative is what drew Allison to the Wilson College in the first place. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI actually learned about it through a family friend. Their kids went through the programs in the department of textile engineering, chemistry and science<\/a>. I was interested in math and science but also had this creative side,\u201d Allison, who chose a concentration in textile design, remembers. \u201cWhen I heard about the new fashion and textile design program coming up that was a Bachelor of Science degree, it piqued my interest immediately.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
More specifically, Allison often pulls from the lessons she learned in Professor Blan Godfrey<\/a>\u2019s entrepreneurship class. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n