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Product Development

School of Communication & The Arts

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Enhance Your Knowledge In Product Development

Marist’s Product Development program, available to Fashion Design or Fashion Merchandising majors as a minor or as a concentration within the Fashion Merchandising major, is designed to augment and enhance your educational experience in Marist’s renowned Fashion program. Along with your foundations in your chosen Fashion major, the Product Development minor allows you to dig deep into contemporary concepts of the industry to thoroughly prepare for your future career.

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Student Learning Outcomes

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A Curriculum Delivered by Industry Experts

Marist’s minor in Product Development is designed to provide our students interested in the industry with a competitive edge when entering the field. The minor provides a foundation in contemporary concepts of apparel industry product development, production, sourcing, branding, licensing, and product data management. You’ll take courses like:

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Hannah Armstrong: Experience Florence, The Birthplace of Fashion

Coming from Ponce, Puerto Rico to study Fashion at Marist, Hannah was not afraid of travel. It’s no wonder, then, that she is spending all four years majoring in Fashion Design at Marist’s branch campus in Florence, Italy. “I have always wanted to study abroad and having the opportunity to do so from the beginning of my Freshman year sounded perfect! I came here to Florence as an FFE and after having a little bit I could not possibly leave! I switched my major from Fashion Merchandising to Fashion Design because who wouldn't want to in the birthplace of fashion?”

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Develop The Skills Needed To Succeed

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Fashion Trend Forecasting & Analysis

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.
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Concept Board Development

Learn the ability to develop trend concept boards for visual presentation in order to convey inspiration, color, fabrics, styling, and key items.

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Understanding of Textile Science

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.
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Product Development & Supply Chain Management

Understand the apparel industry and the sequential development of garments from concept to selling. This includes: trend research, fabric selection, color assortment, garment styling/fit, technical design sourcing/costing, and Supply Chain logistics.

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Private Label Development

Learn to solve problems from the buyer/product developer perspective and conduct research on markets and fashion trends, develop specification/costing sheets, and determine quality guidelines.
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Public Presentation Skills

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.
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Marist Named "Best Colleges That Are Shaping The Future Of Fashion" by Forbes

"Just north of NYC, the Marist campus overlooks the Hudson River providing a more serene setting to focus on your creative process. How serious is Marist about its commitment to fashion? A brand-new, dedicated Digital Arts & Fashion Building opened in January 2019 with all the state-of-the-art tech at the students’ thimble-topped fingertips. You can catch the 35th anniversary Silver Needle Runway presentation of fashion graduates to experience the Marist style for yourself."

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Learn from Industry Experts Across Diverse Areas of Expertise

Marist faculty members come from a wide range of backgrounds and possess various areas of expertise, providing students with insights from experienced industry professionals. With small class sizes, students receive personalized attention and gain hands-on experience, which helps them develop a thorough understanding of the Fashion Industry. Meet a few of our faculty members below, or view all our faculty members. >

 

Stephanie Conover

With over 20 years of experience in the retail industry, Stephanie has worked for Saks Fifth Avenue, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Tory Burch, and Derek Lam.  This background has provided her with a vast knowledge of retail buying, planning, and merchandising from both the perspectives of a department store and vertical retailer. 

Patrick Boylan

Patrick’s fashion industry and diverse entrepreneurial experiences demonstrate how design education can be adaptable, fluid, and marketable. He sees his role as not just teaching the fundamentals of design but mentoring students on how to connect the dots towards a viable future in the ever-changing world of fashion and beyond. 

Rebecca Brown

Rebecca M. Brown joined Marist as a professional lecturer of fashion merchandising. She is an innovative merchandising executive specializing in footwear, handbag, fashion accessory lines, merchandising and brand development. She spent 20 years building a career and reputation as a highly accomplished industry expert.
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The Value of a Marist Education

Marist cultivates the intellectual growth and well-being of its students through unique and personalized combinations of coursework and experience in and out of the classroom. These experiences provide valuable personal growth and occupational expertise to reflect students' individual passions. 

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Employed or attending grad school 6 months after graduation

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Of Marist Graduates Participated in one or more internships

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Graduation rate, higher than the average for public and private colleges

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Marist study abroad is the national leader for academic year programs, per Open Doors Report.

Top 10 Regional Universities-North

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Top 20 for Most Innovative Universities-North Region, per The Princeton Review.

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