Sandra Lowry

Design Director
423.304.6924
sjlowry1@gmail.com

view my portfolio online at sandralowry.foliohd.com

Profile
14.5 years in the rug industry designing, 8.5 years managing designers, for the worlds
largest floor covering manufacturers. 17 year creative career with academic background in
fine art.
Develop product from conception to production for divisional brands, mass merchants
such as Target, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and licensed brands such as Martha Stewart,
HGTV, Kathy Ireland, Tommy Bahama, Angela Adams.
Adept at navigating a productive, timeline-driven environment with successful retail results
and award-winning designs in both woven and print constructions.

Expertise
Product Development/R&D Rug/Textile Design Project Management Trend Research
Client/Vendor Relations(Import/Domestic) Sourcing Artwork Nedgraphics Texcelle software

Experience
Regence Home/Riviera Home Furnishings
May 2014- Nov 2015
New York/Atlanta/Panipat, India
Design Director/Independent Contractor
Managed team designers and projects for innovative import organization seeking to expand
U.S. mass merchant presence, working closely with key personnel within Indian product
development and American sales forces.
Market design as well as account specific work for Walmart, Lowes, Target, Steinmart, Dollar
General, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bealls..
Extensive creel development and custom colorways based on Pantone system for various
natural and synthetic constructions such as micropolyester, polyester flatweave, hand loom.
Compiled trend presentations for attendance at account meetings/New York market.
Researched trend direction via store shops, trend service subscriptions and other media to
help shape direction for design themes.

Shaw Industries/Shaw Living Dalton GA

April 2001 - March 2015
Design Manager, Mass Merchant Woven and Printed Rugs
January 2007 - March 2014
Design Manager Printed Rugs
Supervised up to 5 designers and colorist(s) in direction, color and execution of printed and
woven rugs for national accounts and Shaw Living brand.
Interpreted trends to help shape the concepts for trade market collections every 6 months
and ongoing specific account needs, collaborated with Creative Director. Utilized
professional discernment with regard to market appropriateness and salability.
Oversaw the sample process: accountable for approvals, technical accuracy, selecting
optimal constructions, meeting all deadlines, interacting with internal suppliers and vendors
abroad. Implemented procedural improvements to help reduce stakeholder lead times with
weekly designer meetings, use of new spreadsheet to streamline the transferal of specs to
vendors, utilization of a central design file location for placed product. Set priorities and

timelines for design projects which ranged from 2 to 10 or more, per month.
Communicated with sales account managers and client buyers and their internal product
development/design teams. Modified, executed and influenced direction obtained from
client-developed tech packs, original art and style sheets. Contributed to creation of trend
boards, sheets and presentations seasonally or as needed.
Attended and represented Shaw Living design at client meetings, trade shows, and market
introduction events in New York and Atlanta.
Designer, Mass Merchant Woven/Printed
January 2004 - January 2007
Associate Designer, Woven
April 2001 - December 2003
Rendered designs in all styles as represented in Shaw brands for woven and printed rugs;
traditional, Persian, transitional, contemporary, novelty, seasonal and kitchen as well as specific
development for licensed accounts.
Participation in critiques and team assessments, attendance at trade shows, market and trend
awareness. Ability to work within technical limitations and substrate/loom/print base
requirements.
Interaction with external clients, freelance designers, photographers and printers to proof print
images as needed.
Design that I developed won Dealers Choice Award 2003 and others that I created placed in the
Top 10 and Top 20 lists of Shaw collections.
One of the first designers in the group to accept the challenge of designing for the companys
entrance into the home center and mass merchant markets in the early 2000s.
Sage Automation, Inc. Beaumont, TX
January 2000 - October 2000
Digital Artist/Editor
Photographed product and manipulated digital for use in print advertisements.
Owned the compilation, layout and typesetting process of company technical manuals.
Assisted the marketing department with brainstorming and offered toward the creation of
promotional video.
Kinkos, Inc. Beaumont TX
March 1999 - January 2000
Computer Services Coordinator/Assistant Manager of Technology
Managed the computer services department of 2-3 employees in Mac environment.
Document creation, typesetting, layout for corporate manuals, business cards, logos,
advertisements.
Administrator for computer systems and printers.

Education
Smith College, Northampton, MA
1985 - 1987
Bachelor of Arts, cum laude
Studio/Fine art major with concentration in oil painting and drawing. Art history, color theory,
literature, art education and philosophy.
Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA
1983 - 1985
Associate of Arts
Studio art, art history, psychology, advanced critical writing and reading, literature. Deans List
every semester, received award for public speaking.
University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA
Completed 12 graduate credit hours in digital art, photography and art education.

1997 - 1998