FASHION MERCHANDISING

MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

IFMM Florence Visits

Milan Fashion Week

Fall 2009 Academic Trip

IFMM Polimoda students, Davita Louie and Melissa Zmijewski, report on "six full days of adventure" at Milan Fashion Week.

Click here for photos and the complete article.

FIT Florence Students Visit Paris

                               -by Abby Kong

Paris is often cited as the fashion capital of the world, and this year's International Fashion Merchandising Management and International Fashion design students got a taste of the city during FIT's spring academic field trip to Paris. The busy Paris schedule ranged from industry meetings and retail tours to culturally relevant sightseeing.  This included the Premiere Vision and Texworld tradeshows, a meeting with the visual merchandising team of Louis Vuitton, a trend presentation and guided retail tour of Printemps Department store, a trip to the Louvre and the Centre Pompidou, a visit to Notre dame, and a private tour of the Sonya Rykiel Exhibit at the Decorative Arts Museum.

The Premiere Vision tradeshow was one of the most anticipated appointments- and it did not disappoint.  Arriving in the morning, the students split up in small groups to see and experience the world's most renowned fabric tradeshow. It was a full day of meeting vendors, gathering fabric inspirations and viewing directional color trends.

Retail shopping included the neighborhood of Marais, brimming with charming boutiques, lively cafes, and quirky shops.  The class enjoyed an evening trip down the Seine River courtesy of FITSA, getting the chance to see the "city of lights" beneath the velvety February sky.  It was a remarkable field trip giving the class a unique way to discover the culture and fashion of Paris- an experience not soon forgotten.

 The Merchandising Society visits

 Zappos in Las Vegas

-by Kristyn Corino

FMM Directory:
 

The Merchandising Society was on the road again...headed to Las Vegas for their Spring trip.  In February, the top 12 members of the club flew across the country to visit Zappos Corporate Headquarters, the retail section of the Wynn Hotel and the MAGIC trade show.

At Zappos, the MS was introduced to a casual and fun fashion environment.  They received a tour of each department and had a "meet and greet" with many employees of the company, including employees in marketing and product development.  The club was also treaded as "VIPs" by receiving a copy of their culture book, which explains the purpose and uniqueness of Zappos.

Next, they visited the Wynn Hotel, learning about their retail business. Upon arrival, Matt Riley, a planner for the Wynn, gave the club a tour.  This was followed by a question and answer session with the Sr. VP of Sales, the Director of Sales and the Retail Director/GMM. The club learned about the difference between retailing in a casino compared to brick-and-mortar stores.

The following day, the MS was off to the MAGIC trade show.  The club had the opportunity to speak to an FIT alumnus, Sandy Shapiro, who helps coordinate and run the show every year. Our members also had the opportunity to explore the E-Collection section and learned more about how the fashion industry is becoming green.  Next, they met with many vendors to learn how they are incorporating sustainability into different fashion products.  While there, the club was "snapped" by StyleSight and featured on their website!

Finally, the members walked around the Pool trade show at MAGIC, which is devoted to new, independent designers. Our Style Shop buyers immediately stepped into their "buyer" role and you can check out some of the merchandise that was purchased at MAGIC in the Style Shop now!

The club was accompanied by Professor Joseph Antee and Professor Jane Werner.