The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM) has officially reopened its renovated flagship, on 53rd Street in midtown Manhattan. The college for the business of fashion has occupied the historic townhouse since 1965. The building recently underwent extensive upgrades, including new classrooms, computer labs, student and faculty lounges and administrative offices.
“The completion of this renovation represents the jewel in LIM’s crown,” says LIM president Elizabeth Marcuse. “Over the past five years, we have expanded into three additional buildings, but this townhouse is truly our home. It is fitting that we cap off an incredible period of planned strategic growth by returning to where it all began.”
The renovated space also includes a “Vertical Timeline” created by Eric Feigenbaum, chair of the college’s visual merchandising department and VM+SD’s New York editor. The timeline displays archival photos of the story of fashion and quotes from industry leaders through the decades from the 1930s to present. It is displayed in the building’s center staircase.
As part of the ribbon cutting ceremony, students created two window displays that pay tribute to Raymond Mastrobuoni, Cartier’s recently retired assistant vp of visual display. Mastrobuoni worked at Cartier for 40 years and is now teaching a visual merchandising course at LIM. One window features Mastrobuoni in his studio, while the other shows images of Cartier timepieces. Both are on view in LIM’s street-level window.
Photography: Brad Barket, Getty Images