Retail industry leaders and supporters, including VMSD, on October 27 celebrated the launch of the nation's first Masters of Professional Studies Visual Merchandising Program at LIM College (New York) at a reception hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue’s New York flagship.
LIM College graduate students, staff and members of the LIM College Fashion Industry Advisory Board were on-hand at the reception, where Harry Cunningham, Saks' svp, store planning and design; Eric Feigenbaum, chair of the Visual Merchandising Department at LIM and New York editor, VMSD; and LIM College President Elizabeth S. Marcuse lauded the new program, which will fill a need for advanced, specialized education specifically for upper-management and executives in visual merchandising.
Throughout the 30-credit program, the principles, philosophies and technologies of visual merchandising will be taught through exploration of the marketplace, hands-on learning and field experimentation with an emphasis on the principles and practices of sustainable design. Students will also be able to complete an additional three-credit internship/shadowing program.
“Visual merchandising is an indispensable part of any retail strategy,” said Feigenbaum. “This program is grounded in the premise that today’s retailer must understand the aesthetic component of their business and approach it as a profit center. Over the last several years, the field has moved from the basement studio to the executive boardroom.”
Photography: Richard Cadan, Fairfield, Conn.