Fashion Merchandising

School of Communication & The Arts

An Immersive Fashion Merchandising Program

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.

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Student Learning Outcomes >

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

A Diverse Curriculum To Prepare For Your Career

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:

Business: The Business concentration focuses on the planning, procurement, and marketing aspects of the fashion business and includes courses such as Accessory Merchandising, Fashion Branding & Licensing, and Product Sourcing.
Product Development: The Product Development concentration includes coursework focused on Supply Chain Management, Private Label Development, Branding & Licensing, and Sustainability.
Fashion Promotion: The Fashion Promotion concentration is geared toward careers in fashion public relations or advertising, event production, or online promotion and includes courses like Fashion Show Production, Visual Merchandising, and Communications.

Fashion Design majors also have the ability to minor in Fashion Merchandising to enhance the educational experience.

Image of a fashion merchandising student presenting her senior thesis project.

A Diverse Curriculum To Prepare For Your Career

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:

Business: The Business concentration focuses on the planning, procurement, and marketing aspects of the fashion business and includes courses such as Accessory Merchandising, Fashion Branding & Licensing, and Product Sourcing.
Product Development: The Product Development concentration includes coursework focused on Supply Chain Management, Private Label Development, Branding & Licensing, and Sustainability.
Fashion Promotion: The Fashion Promotion concentration is geared toward careers in fashion public relations or advertising, event production, or online promotion and includes courses like Fashion Show Production, Visual Merchandising, and Communications.

Fashion Design majors also have the ability to minor in Fashion Merchandising to enhance the educational experience.

Cutting-Edge Fashion Facilities

At Marist, we’re determined to provide not only the educational but the physical tools to promote your success and preparedness to enter to fashion industry. Along with our Textile Design Lab and Fashion Makerspace, Fashion Merchandising students perhaps get the most use and experience out of MPorium: our on-campus entrepreneurial boutique stocked and operated by our Fashion Merchandising students. Functioning as a retail laboratory, MPorium gives you the opportunity to delve into the nuances required for running and maintaining a fashion enterprise, including Human Resource Management/Staffing, Customer Service, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, and Merchandise Planning & Control.

Learn More About The Steel Plant

Cutting-Edge Fashion Facilities

At Marist, we’re determined to provide not only the educational but the physical tools to promote your success and preparedness to enter to fashion industry. Along with our Textile Design Lab and Fashion Makerspace, Fashion Merchandising students perhaps get the most use and experience out of MPorium: our on-campus entrepreneurial boutique stocked and operated by our Fashion Merchandising students. Functioning as a retail laboratory, MPorium gives you the opportunity to delve into the nuances required for running and maintaining a fashion enterprise, including Human Resource Management/Staffing, Customer Service, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, and Merchandise Planning & Control.

Learn More About The Steel Plant

Hands-on Fashion Merchandising Experience

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 FM/AM, Marist’s internationally distributed fashion magazine, and producing the Silver Needle Runway Fashion Show, the largest event production presented by Marist annually.

Explore the most recent volumes of FM/AM below.

Career Success in the Fashion Industry

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:

The Value of a Marist Education

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.