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Hi, I&#39;m Natalie and I&#39;m from the Charlotte, NC area. I attended NC State University in Raleigh, NC where I received my B.S. degree in Fashion &amp; Textile Management with a concentration in Brand Management &amp; Marketing. After graduating, I moved to Augusta, GA, where I started my first full time position in February 2016 as an Assistant Merchandiser for Augusta Sportswear. At the start of 2018, I transitioned into a new position as Designer/Product Developer for the Off Field category, which included training tops/bottoms, polos, and fanwear apparel products. Day to day I worked on all product development aspects making fabric and trim decisions for an extensive product line. My favorite part about being a designer was watching my designs come to life from a flat sketch to physical samples. I got to make most of the design and construction decisions for these garments and present to the internal teams how to best showcase their features.In April 2019, I moved to Southern California, where I started as an Assistant Merchandiser for BB Dakota based in Costa Mesa, California. I assisted the JACK brand designer and technical designer by communicating daily with our vendors to ensure samples arrived on time, helped build tech packs, and prepared for product presentations to management. Unfortunately due to the unparalleled times of COVID-19, my time with BB Dakota came to an end. Quickly after, in July 2020, I made a career shift to the mortgage industry and started as a Loan Coordinator for a private money lender called Equity Wave Lending in Irvine, CA where I drew loan documents. A few months later, I was promoted to Loan Processor where I managed 10-20 loans simultaneously and facilitated their fundings.I decided to leave the mortgage industry and return to the fashion/apparel development world, where my passion lies. In November 2021, I started a contract position as Merchandising Operations Coordinator at Vans, where I managed approximately 1,000-1,500 styles per season across multiple seasons for the Women&#39;s &amp; Girl&#39;s Apparel &amp; Accessories categories in our Enovia PLM database. I also analyzed seasonal buys, SKU counts, and line plans by utilizing pivot table, V lookup, etc. in Excel, and organized all team salesmen samples. Once my contract lapsed, I started as a Designer/Product Developer for Style Lab HQ, a company started by a former Augusta Sportswear colleague. Style Lab provides a full service package of brand strategy, design, development, manufacturing, merchandising, etc. to apparel companies to get their products from concept to shelf.
I&#39;m open-minded which allows me to work well with others and I love seeking new opportunities. My interests include reading, traveling, sewing, spinning, hiking, and yoga.

- Collaborated with clients to bring their apparel product lines to life
- Merchandised product categories such as basketball and volleyball to define clear pricing, brand strategy, and product line
assortment
- Created flat sketches and built and maintained tech packs for all styles within the brand’s product line

Designer & Product Developer

- Maintained ≈1k-1.5k styles per season across multiple seasons for the Women’s + Girl’s Apparel & Accessories categories in
Enovia PLM database
- Analyzed seasonal buys, SKU counts, and line plans by utilizing pivot tables, V lookup, etc. in Excel
- Managed all Women’s + Girl’s Apparel & Accessories salesmen samples

Merchandising Operations Coordinator

• Main point of contact in collecting loan conditions from clients
• Created on-boarding material and trained new employees
• Managed title, escrow, and property appraisal orders
• Worked closely with brokers, borrowers, insurance agents, and title/escrow officers to facilitate all steps of the loan process
• Managed company list of approved brokers
• Compiled loan documents to be signed and notarized

Mortgage Loan Processor

• Lead liaison between product development team and overseas vendors
• Managed seasonal fashion line sheets in industry software 
• Assisted Technical Designer with creating tech packs and providing vendors design and fit updates
• Maintained spreadsheets of all sales samples received

Assistant Merchandiser

•	Create flat sketches, color way sketches, and trend boards using Adobe Illustrator
•	Responsible for implementing new fabrics and trims into new styles and evaluate proto samples while adhering to original sketch/vision and target margin
•	Build and maintain tech packs, Bill of Materials (BOM), and all other style details through FlexPLM software system
•	Collaborate daily with Mexico and Shanghai teams to drive new product sourcing
•	Prepare and present product presentations to internal stakeholders and external customers
•	Travel to industry trade shows, visit customer accounts for new product presentations, and trend shop relevant markets to stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends


Designer/Product Developer

•	Managed all aspects of new product development from concept to final product
•	Supported Technical Designer during fittings to achieve desired garment fit and cost margin
•	Assisted in the model casting process for photo shoots as well as assist with styling looks at the photo shoots
•	Responsible for creating and updating product line list
•	Collected and analyzed data on products from previous seasons using Business Intelligence software
•	Reviewed fabric and trim color in standardized light box to ensure adherence to corporate color standard


•	Provide exceptional assistance to customers by providing them with product knowledge about surf boards and accessories, wetsuits, swimwear, sportswear, and footwear
•	Merchandise products in the store to effectively and perpetually capture customers’ attention
•	Perform opening and closing store procedures
•	Create and input purchase orders into LightSpeed software system

Sales Lead & Key Holder

•	Posted to various social media outlets multiple times a week
•	Brainstormed fabric designs, cuts, and styles for 2016 swimwear line

Social Media Marketing Intern

•	Assisted customers by providing them with information about legal waivers and services offered
•	Hosted birthday parties and private parties

Front Desk Staff Member

•	Managed and posted daily fashion related posts through all of the brand’s social media accounts
•	Wrote blog entries about current fashion topics for the label’s website
•	Recorded inventory and prepared garments for fashion shows, trunk shows, and photo shoots

•	Conducted opening and closing store duties, provided a unique shopping experience to customers, recorded special jewelry orders, and operated cash wrap
•	Merchandised products into current directives while maintaining store organization and cleanliness
•	Styled the models at The Jewel Box’s first fashion show in July 2013

Sales Associate

Natalie Vaccaro Wiik is a Designer & Product Developer at Style Lab HQ in Newport, North Carolina.

Natalie Vaccaro Wiik

Natalie Vaccaro Wiik

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Education history

North Carolina State University

University of North Carolina at Charlotte