{"id":25765,"date":"2022-03-29T09:29:19","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T13:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=25765"},"modified":"2024-03-27T13:36:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T17:36:27","slug":"meet-textile-design-alumna-claire-hider-mohawk-industries-project-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2022\/03\/meet-textile-design-alumna-claire-hider-mohawk-industries-project-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Textile Design Alumna Claire Hider ’18, Mohawk Industries Project Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

By Mary Giuffrida<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wilson College of Textiles\u2019 spring career fair brought industry professionals from across the country to Centennial Campus. One of these professionals was Claire Hider. Just four years earlier, Hider attended the same career fair as a textile design<\/a> student looking to find her place in the industry. It was there that she got her foot in the door with Mohawk Industries, a global flooring manufacturer and the very company she represented this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTextiles is a big family,\u201d Hider, a product manager for Mohawk Industries, says. \u201cComing back and seeing people who really helped contribute to my professional education, my friends, peers and mentors was incredible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her role at Mohawk, Hider is an integral part of a company that serves over 170 countries and 25,000 customers. Hider started at Mohawk as a designer, applying the creativity and skillset she fostered through a bachelor\u2019s degree in fashion and textile design<\/a> (FTD) to creating new and exciting flooring products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t long, however, before she decided to push herself even further. In 2019 she accepted a new position at Mohawk, moving from design into product development, acting on an interest she\u2019d had since starting at the Wilson College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in the mechanical side of textiles and how design and manufacturing go together,\u201d Hider explains. \u201cHaving that education and understanding from the Wilson College of Textiles gave me the confidence to apply for new positions and the foundation on which to keep building.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her current position as a carpet product manager, she works with Mohawk\u2019s North American clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy job is really exciting,\u201d she says. \u201cI do anything from portfolio analysis to customer visits where we go out and talk to dealers and receive product feedback. I also get to help make decisions on product design, channel placements and meet influential leaders in the flooring industry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hider wears many hats at her current position. Attending color and design conferences, trend forecasting, and working with Mohawk\u2019s sales teams are just a few of the ways she spends her days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"kaftan
A kaftan and knit dress from Hider’s FTD Emerging Designer’s Showcase, “Aligned (Undefined).” Photo courtesy: Veritas Digital Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hider cultivated the skills needed to wear those hats while she earned both her bachelor\u2019s in FTD and a Master of Science in Textiles<\/a> from Wilson College, graduating in 2018. She credits the Wilson College with giving her the edge she needed to jump-start her career.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing a student at the college, we learned about making a product from the polymer to the finished piece,\u201d Hider says. \u201cWith every new opportunity comes a learning curve, but understanding textile fundamentals really allowed me to quickly become involved and actually create a positive impact.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The immense commitment to the Wilson College community that brought Hider back to the career fair this year started right here on campus. She was the founding member of NC State\u2019s chapter of WithIt<\/a>, a member of the Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (TATM) Student Advisory Board<\/a> and a member of both Sigma Tau Sigma Honor Society<\/a> and Kappa Tau Beta Leadership Fraternity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting her thesis to work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While on campus, Hider completed both her degrees in five years through the college\u2019s accelerated bachelor\u2019s master\u2019s program<\/a>. The program allowed her to integrate the two degrees, starting her master\u2019s coursework in the last year of her undergraduate degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she transitioned to her master\u2019s coursework, Hider\u2019s focus shifted to her thesis. Her research focused on the assessment of digital inkjet printing on jacquard-woven base cloths. She looked specifically at upholstery fabrics used in products such as pillows or cushions you might find in your house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A flattened design file from Hider’s thesis research.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe looked at how we could add value to a woven product using printing,\u201d Hider says. \u201cTypically in printing you want to keep the base very flat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fabrics Hider was studying were more heavy and textured than typical base cloths used for printing, meaning keeping them flat for printing was much more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aesthetics of the final designs were worth the extra effort. Printing on those heavy fabrics presented many of the same challenges that printing on carpet or other flooring does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This meant Hider was uniquely prepared to help Mohawk\u2019s design team use digital printing to achieve their vision by revisiting her master\u2019s thesis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A thesis research piece to experiment with printing and weaving the same design.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI looked at color placement and shade matching,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe design team decided which colors they wanted and I worked with manufacturing to make sure their vision was translated.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her knowledge and experience allowed her to collaborate with the designers to ensure the final product stayed true to the designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Hider, opportunities like this to apply your education in the industry are endless, and the confidence needed to take advantage of them starts at the Wilson College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNC State is an excellent place to achieve your goals,\u201d she says. \u201cBe confident enough to think about what you want and go for it. Embrace the \u2018Think and Do\u2019 mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing a portfolio at the Wilson College <\/h4>\n\n\n\n