A Passion for Fashion Can Ignite a Career

BROOKVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Fashion Merchandising curriculum launched this semester at LIU Post offers all the components for providing its students a two-pronged advantage — experts at the helm and proximity to New York City, the global industry hub, affording entree to "fashion laboratories" where they can acquire experience in real-world environments.

"The fashion industry, which employs more than 4.2 million and accounts for about $250 billion in 2013 in the United States, is a vibrant job market," said Professor Abby Dress of LIU Post's School of Visual and Performing Arts, where Fashion Merchandising courses are offered.

In the realm of fashion education, LIU Post's offering is unique.  Its curriculum allows students to combine a myriad of academic majors, such as marketing, public relations, management, economics, and journalism, with a Fashion Merchandising minor, giving them dual knowledge and skills that will enhance status with future employers.

Proximity to fashion centers has afforded LIU's fashion students opportunities for jobs and internships in the industry and to interact with masters of the retailing and design universe, including the head of menswear for Ralph Lauren, executives from Macy's, and President of the Americana Manhasset Deidre Costa Major. Upcoming visits to both Hirshleifer's, the nationally renowned retailer of high-end European and American designs, and the highly touted Killer Heels, an exhibit exploring the history of high-heeled shoes at the Brooklyn Museum, will be "living laboratory" experiences for the LIU Post students.

The Fashion Merchandising initiative, designed to meet the demands of a job market that places a premium on multiple talents, has attracted Post students like Monica Peralta, who plans to pursue a public relations career in fashion. As one of three students who lead the Student-Run Business Committee, overseeing LIU Post's six student-run ventures, she concentrates on The Student Body, a trendy, fully functional fashion boutique located in Hillwood Commons, the busy student center. At The Student Body, Peralta puts classroom-learned skills into practice by purchasing, merchandising, promoting, and selling inventory. Peralta has also leveraged her campus-acquired fashion business abilities in an internship at a luxury boutique.

Cherie Serota, who co-founded an international apparel company following several years in the buying, fashion, and marketing offices of Saks Fifth Avenue and Henri Bendel, teaches the Introduction to Fashion Merchandising course at LIU Post. Her insider's knowledge of the industry's design, marketing and management mechanisms, gained from developing a business that became a multi-million dollar, go-to brand for both everyday women and celebrities, make her classroom lectures troves of real-world knowledge.

To be effective, said Serota, fashion merchandisers should possess a combination of fashion sense and business know-how. Her curriculum introduces students to key concepts, including:

• An understanding of consumer wants and needs and consumer behavior
• Knowledge of current fashion trends
• Excellent communications and promotion skills
• Analytical math skills
• Technological knowledge of colors, patterns, and fabrics
• The process of buying and selling in the fashion industry and its global supply chains
• Visual display methods and options

"It's a dream come true to share my experiences in the classroom and teach fashion business at LIU Post, helping young people build their skills and discover and pursue their own passions," said Serota.

"LIU Post students in the fashion merchandising course benefit from its unique and exceptional aspects," said Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, president of LIU. "Students are offered global perspectives and experiences, enriching their coursework, encouraging them to imagine themselves fully immersed and at the top levels of a dynamic, perpetual industry."

LIU
LIU, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, empowering its students with skills they need to excel in the classroom and throughout their professional careers, providing high quality academic instruction taught by world-class faculty. One of the nation's largest private universities, LIU offers 500 accredited programs to more than 20,000 students and has an active network of 200,000 alumni that includes leaders in industries across the globe. LIU's renowned faculty, the LIU Promise student mentoring program, innovation in experiential learning, its high-tech startup incubator, and on-the-ground training further distinguish LIU as a leader among the nation's most respected universities. Visit liu.edu for more information.

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SOURCE Long Island University

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