The Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising announces the opening of its new retail space, The Fashion School Store. Located in downtown Kent, Ohio, in the newly revitalized retail area known as Acorn Alley II, the store will hold a public grand opening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18. Guests will have the opportunity to view the new space, purchase merchandise and enjoy light refreshments. To make a reservation, call Kent State’s College of the Arts office at 330-672-2760 by April 13. The event is free and open to the public.
The Fashion School Store provides an opportunity for the fashion merchandising students of Kent State to practice classroom concepts through a real-world business. All aspects of running a store will be managed by students, with junior merchandising major Scott Bunner of Parma Heights, Ohio, serving as the store manager and Nancy Stanforth, Ph.D., associate professor of fashion merchandising overseeing as the faculty advisor of the store.
“The store is about the merchandising students and putting their class work into action,” Stanforth said. “They will be involved in buying and merchandising of the store plus the general operation. We hope that they learn how to run a business and make it profitable.”
The Fashion School Store provides a unique outlet for Kent State fashion students, faculty and alumni to sell their designs. Items for sale include clothing, casual wear, outerwear, accessories, as well as computer bags, T-shirts, pillows and tote bags with The Fashion School logo. Prices range from $10 to $300.
While students gain experience running a business, the school’s faculty provides their designs to financially benefit The Fashion School, while also experimenting with business strategies through academia.
“Faculty [members] hope at some point to be able to conduct research for publication, which might include pricing strategies, customer service and merchandise selections, and store ambiance,” Stanforth said. “However, that is a bit in the future.”
Regular store hours for The Fashion School Store are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The store can be reached by calling 330-677-2419.