At Marist, Fashion Merchandising is much more than a major – it’s a hands-on, immersive learning experience. Our Fashion Merchandising students achieve high levels of success because they enter the fashion industry with years of experience under their belts even before graduation.
Watch Video
The Merchandising major relies upon foundational courses such as Fashion in Culture & Commerce, Digital Software Studies and Textiles, then advances with concentration-specific offerings in Business, Product Development, or Fashion Promotion. Learn more about each of the Fashion Merchandising concentrations below:
The Business concentration focuses on the planning, procurement, and marketing aspects of the fashion business and includes courses such as:
The Product Development concentration explores the development of private label or branded merchandise, supply chain management, and the use of product data management techniques. It includes such courses as:
The Fashion Promotion concentration explores the relationship between brand, product and consumer behavior, and the dynamic role it plays. Students engage in course work focusing on trend, branding, creative marketing and communication, social media, e-commerce, event planning and production, and digital media creation. It includes such courses as:
Fashion Design majors have the opportunity to minor in Fashion Merchandising to enhance their academic experience. Combining a Fashion Design major with Fashion Merchandising minor balances the creative design curriculum with the industry knowledge of Fashion Merchandising.
A balanced education at Marist combines rigorous classroom experience with practical application in the desired field, and the Fashion Merchandising major is no exception. Fashion Merchandising students engage in a wide range of real-world learning opportunities, including running MPorium, our on-campus retail boutique, creating the next issue of Measure Magazine, Marist’s fashion magazine, and producing the Silver Needle Runway Fashion Show, the largest event production presented by Marist annually.
Explore the most recent volumes of the magazine below.
Go to Measure Magazine >
One thing I loved about Marist was the fact that I knew when I graduated I was going to be successful. The teachers, the staff, and the professors provide a community feeling, and people have pushed me to do better. I’m not just a number, people want me to do well.
Cameron Smith
Read Cameron's Story >
I have always wanted to study abroad and my Fashion Design major gave me the opportunity to do so from the beginning of my freshman year!
Hannah Armstrong
Read Hannah's Story >
The faculty within the Fashion Department have been nothing but extremely helpful. They make sure I’m registering for the right classes, as well as taking classes I want to be taking, and they help me look for internship and job opportunities. The faculty have also played a vital role in my growth as a person and have provided me with the tools I will need to succeed in the fashion industry post-graduation.
Rebecca Castellani
Read Rebecca's Story >
I was attracted to both the Marist campus and the opportunity to dive into the liberal arts and explore a broader curriculum. Along with Fashion, I’ve been able to take classes in areas like environmental science and global studies. I’ve been very involved in the Fashion Program’s ethical fashion initiative.
Teresa Cimino
Read Teresa's Story >
As an intern at Puma, I was able to compile trend forecasts that my boss was able to share with senior leadership at the company’s headquarters in Germany.
Samantha Williams
Read Samantha's Story >
During my internship with Abercrombie & Fitch, working in outerwear and also accessories, I noticed many similarities between the two product categories. This connection laid the foundation for my senior collection, and I worked closely with Professional Lecturer of Fashion Design DooRi Chung to develop it.
Leander Trotter
As a Fashion Merchandising student at Marist who has completed industry experience long before graduation, you’ll have a competitive edge unlike any other student entering the field. And our students have landed the jobs to prove it. Below are only a few examples of the major fashion institutions that proudly employ Marist Fashion alumni today:
Gain a foundational-level understanding of fashion trend theories; begin to effectively anticipate, understand, and utilize basic terminology used to describe fashion, garments and textiles; and explain the process of apparel production from concept.
Understand theory and practice components for forecasting fashion and use professional case studies to demonstrate each technique and concept. Learn the mechanics and functions of trends and responsibilities of the Fashion Forecaster.
Prepare for your senior capstone project, where you will develop a research report that defines a successful product, marketing, and financial plan. You will be required to present your project to a group of faculty and industry executives.
Develop a working vocabulary of terms used in the textile industry and how they affect textile performance, which enables you to make informed decisions concerning textile end use.
Analyze the retail industry by store/customer type, and store strategy. Understand different consumer behaviors and perform a trading area analysis, identify target markets, and discuss how relationship marketing is the key to success.
Create technical, merchandising, spec flats, and various garment details and fashion figures using Adobe Illustrator to visually develop an understanding of garment construction and details.
At Marist, we pride ourselves on our dedication to providing our students with a well-rounded liberal arts education that prepares them for practical experience and profound success in their field. But don't just take our word for it - the numbers speak for themselves.
