Lori Wahl credits her 1993 University of Idaho bachelor’s degree in clothing, textiles, and design for much of her career success. It “gave me a well-rounded perspective on interpersonal communication, problem solving, and research techniques—the foundation to become an  effective team player from the start,” says Wahl.

A mother of two, who now designs her own line of clothes from home in Portland, Ore., Lori has spent 14 years creating a career path in the apparel industry that reflects the diversity of opportunities available to today’s graduates.

Wahl stepped out of college right into a job in Portland at Nike, Inc., where she quickly moved from apparel sample maker to systems technician in the quality assurance/fabric-testing lab to assistant trim and fabric coordinator. Within two years she developed products for the women’s, boys’, and Agassi tennis lines before moving to Adidas America.

Designing for the Olympics

At Adidas, Wahl became a designer for the U.S. national gymnastics team, including uniforms for the 2000 Olympic Games. She moved into managing other designers working on promotional products such as uniforms for college teams.

The vast resources of materials and personnel available to such a large global company gave Wahl a broad view of international business. She also witnessed the positive role that companies can play in fair labor and environmental issues, for example, by refusing to work with vendors who run sweat shops, use child labor, or pollute the environment with chemicals.

Wanting to experience work in a small company, Wahl moved to Hanna Andersson, a manufacturer of apparel for children and families, where she managed projects from start to finish.

After Wahl’s first child was born, she joined a “big movement to do business on your own. If you have a computer and the ability to market yourself, many companies are happy to hire you,” says Wahl, now a free-lance designer for several companies. She and her sister also design and produce a line of children’s clothing under the Mister Judy label (see misterjudy.blogspot.com/).

Being an entrepreneur allows Wahl to stay at home with her children and to choose which clients, projects, and deadlines to accept. Frequently a guest lecturer at the university, Wahl served on the advisory board of the School of Family and Consumer Sciences for the last four years. She was nominated for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences 2005 Young Alumni Achievement Award.

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