Chippewa Valley Times

As UW-Stout alum Kirby Hanson watched the Summer Olympics in Paris from her home in Vancouver, British Columbia, she and her family had a more personal reason to cheer on their nation’s athletes.

Hanson, an apparel design and development 2007 graduate, is the technical development manager for lululemon athletic apparel company, the official outfitter of Team Canada, which includes more than 430 Olympians and Paralympians.

She was excited to see the apparel her team developed as Canada’s athletes made their way to the medals podium, donning the Team Canada x lululemon Collection, complete with the traditional red and white maple leaf motif.

Hanson, originally from Isanti, Minn., believes UW-Stout gave her a strong foundation to jumpstart her career. "The professors were engaging and pushed us to think outside the box and think past a sketch. As a visual learner, it was important for me to have hands-on projects and real-life scenarios to experience. That really set me up for success," she said.

Hanson brought her talents to lululemon in 2015 when she started as a fit specialist in women’s product. As well as helping manage the Team Canada line, she is the technical development manager for men’s casual, overseeing a team of nine.

"What I love most is mentoring others, the collaboration and seeing our product come to life," she said.

Developing apparel is a very collaborative process between designers, technical developers and pattern makers, Hanson added. "We first understand the aesthetic and type of fit designers want, then we work with our vendors to make samples. We take a lot of care in our fittings to make sure we nail the balance and fit of every piece."

"At lululemon, we also want to make sure all our product is functional, so there is a lot of wear testing and feedback along the way to make sure we meet our guests’ expectations," Hanson said.

Hanson appreciates the company culture at lululemon, its priority of supporting employees physically, mentally and socially. "Lululemon also has some big sustainability impact goals," she said, noting that the company aims to reduce its environmental impact by minimizing wasted materials and partnering with sustainable materials innovators.

Hanson encourages current apparel students to "be a sponge, ask lots of questions, write things down and keep a growth mindset so that you are always learning. Learn from your mistakes, learn from things you did right and learn from others."

Lululemon, based in Vancouver, has more than 710 stores and 38,000 employees around the world. This was the company’s first Team Canada Summer Olympics collection. It previously designed the team’s clothing for the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

UW-Stout’s apparel design and development program is now known as fashion design and development within its School of Art and Design (SOAD). With over 1,300 students enrolled across various disciplines including animation; game design; graphic design; industrial design; interior design; studio art; arts administration; video production; illustration; fashion design; SOAD is recognized as one of Upper Midwest's largest public art schools.

The university’s 2022-23 First Destination Outcomes survey reported that 100% of new fashion design graduates were either working within the industry with an average yearly salary of $53,000 or continuing their education.