Fashion students have been given a hands-on merchandising project at the Mesa College bookstore as one of their assignments. Merchandising majors will forecast the trends of what Mesa students want to buy and sell these items in the bookstore.

Fashion merchandising is the purchasing and marketing of products by a retail company. Merchandisers are the people responsible for selection, pricing, and placement on the retail floor. Their job is to initially attract the customer into the store and guide them strategically through the merchandise using creative visual displays.

All the students come up with ideas of what they think is the new hip thing, but fashion professor Rachel Libolt and Carol Rohe, manager of the bookstore, are the ones who make the official creative decision. The students are then required to market the product by using compelling visual displays that will attract students into the store.

Fashion majors have titled their project “We have the style that will make you smile.” So far plans include four categories of merchandise to will be sold in the bookstore – bags, scarves and beanies, hats, and tops. Each category is managed by a respective group with a budget of $200 to turn their ideas into reality. The group responsible for bags would like to showcase gym and messenger bags for both men and women in a style similar to American Apparel.

The fashion department is making decisions based on what Mesa Students are actually interested in wearing. Each group has the option of getting “Mesa College” screen-printed on their merchandise. Some groups are deciding not to add the school’s name, however, after conducting a survey that showed students are more inclined to buy and actually wear merchandise outside of school that did not have the school’s name on it.

Fashion students are preparing a buying exercise at the San Pedro Wholesale Mart in Los Angeles. A professional fashion buyer, Lexi Lomax, who currently owns Ooh La La Boutique and Salonin El Cajon, will accompany the students. Shopping with an actual buyer gives students a great opportunity to see what it would really be like to work in the industry.

“My job is definitely more than picking out cute things, I like the business aspect of being a buyer and the fact that I have goals to be accomplished,” said Lomax.

Once the merchandise is purchased the fashion students will display their selections in an area of the bookstore reserved for mannequins, props and display cases. The students are responsible for replenishing stock during their class period twice a week. All proceeds from the merchandise will help fund Mesa’s spring fashion show and will provide money for future fashion scholarships.

The new clothing can be seen in the bookstore beginning Nov 1. Fashion students have proposed some promotional ideas like doing a photo shoot of their displays and placing them in a look book – a collection of photos – so that students can view the merchandise inside and outside the bookstore.

Fashion major Steffi Weigand, an international student from Germany, is preparing herself to work in the industry by taking fashion buying and management courses. She says she is gaining valuable work experience through her fashion classes at Mesa College that is helping her prepare for her future career.

“I aspire to work on a fashion magazine after graduation as an art director or fashion stylist,” said Weigand.

Management and buying are only two of the many disciplines taught by the fashion department at Mesa College. Fashion students are getting an education comparable to classes at a private fashion institute and for a fraction of the price. They are learning about all the aspects of the fashion industry and its evolving careers.

Students interested in learning the fundamentals of the fashion industry can receive an associate’s degree in fashion merchandising, fashion design or fashion consulting at Mesa College. These three majors prepare students for entry-level positions in buying, visual merchandising, sales and design.