The San Diego Mesa College fashion program launched new school merchandise, the profits will help support the program with extra fashion activities including the Student Fashion Show and scholarships.
Fashion 110 or the buying class, researched and developed the merchandise that is currently being sold. They looked up current trends using Fashion Snoops, a trend forecasting service, and Google Trends to ensure that the merch was in style and would be something students and staff would buy. The buying class looked at data from previous semesters to see what sold or not. After analyzing different aspects within the research process and figuring out what the audience would like, students presented their sales pitch ideas to the bookstore supervisor, Rob Meyers, and other faculty members. Fashion 110 allows students to simulate being buyers and product developers like in the fashion industry.
In previous years, the products would be sold at the Mesa Bookstore, but due to the pandemic, the class has been selling their products through social media and by posting on a site called Mobile Cause, an application for nonprofit organizations.
Students traveled to Los Angeles this fall semester to purchase merchandise wholesale in the garment district and later customized the items bought with the Mesa College fashion logo alongside the year the fashion program was established, 1972. Fashion 110 students also collaborated with the photo styling class, Fashion 179, where students did photoshoots for the promotional campaign and the advertising aspect of the merchandise launch.
“My favorite thing about this class is that I get to experience what goes on behind the scenes of a fashion store. I have really enjoyed the process of planning and designing the new merchandise,” said current student Yuzbi Guerrero.
Last year the merchandise was focused on “#studying with style” with vibrant colors such as neon yellow and blue followed by the Mesa fashion logo on the upper left chest area. Last year’s items can be found on the clearance or at the bottom section of the Mesa Fashion website. This semester, the merchandise was geared towards being comfy and cozy with a neutral color palette, so you can wear them for zoom meetings or simply to lounge around the house.
“I like how it all came together as a whole and it makes a beautiful grouping, but I also like how it says Mesa College Fashion and the fashion department started in 1972, so that is what the logo says,” said Rachael Libolt, an adjunct faculty member of the San Diego Mesa Fashion Department.
The merch is selling out quickly, so if you would like to purchase merch or support the Mesa Fashion Program, you can buy them on their website or you can text fashion to 91999. You can also follow the fashion program on Instagram at sdmesafashion.
