Students put their skills to the test in Riverpark

Fresno City College visual merchandising students got the opportunity to put their skills to task by designing and installing window displays at six of Fresno’s trendiest boutiques.

Pam Hutton, instructor of FCC’s visual merchandising class, contacted Riverpark Shopping Center and struck a unique partnership with them to allow her students to perform their final project at stores.

“In visual merchandising, you learn how to display your merchandise so that it compels people to buy,” said Hutton. “You’ve done your advertising and people hear about your store, but they are beckoned to come in when they see something interesting in the window.”

Students Joyce Rosenthal, 22, Brenda Rodriguez, 19 and Mayra Avelar, 23, designed and installed the Mother’s Day inspired display at the Khloe California boutique.

“We wanted to make it floral and use the hearts to show a little love for mom,” said Rosenthal, a fashion merchandising major. “[We wanted to ] kind of grab attention with a different concept.”

Rosenthal’s team dressed a mannequin in floral skirt and top and, in place of the mannequin’s head, is a large, lovely spring bouquet. In the next window hangs a poster depicting a woman with her hands together shaped into a heart.

“We’re really happy with our work,” said Rodriguez, who is undecided on her major.

The goals of this project are to provide visual merchandising students the opportunity to put new concepts using design principles to use while gaining practical experience, as well as preparing the students for career advancement in the retail community.

Hutton says she is very thankful that the shopping center agreed to the union.

“We’re actually surprised they were so willing to help us out,” she says. “Because they take a risk  that students don’t do a good job; they take a risk that something will break.”

Fashion merchandising major Gabriel Pacheco, 22, helped design the display at Ooh La La with his team and they ran into several difficulties.

The Ooh La La window is darkly tinted and they had to work around a structure that was already present that the store manager did not want taken down. The structure is a black chevron design descending from the ceiling.

Through teamwork, cooperation and brainstorming, the team was able to pull off their window display.

“It was more my team members [Brooke Baker and Adolfo Lemus] who were able to come up with the ideas,” says Pacheco. “I give them credit.”

The response to this project has been positive.

Samantha Dawson, general manager of two of the stores, is enthusiastic about the project.

“I think giving kids the opportunity to learn and really experience it in the real world, rather than just in the classroom is really important to their education,” she said.

This will not be the last semester the visual merchandising class will get to participate in this project, as Dawson says the project is “definitely something we’ll be interested in [continuing].”

These window displays can be seen in person until May 7 at Riverpark’s Kwirkworld, Eleganza, Ooh La La, Stella Laguna Beach, Khloe California and The Ivy. If you miss them at the mall, there are photos posted at www.facebook.com/shopriverpark.