West
Windsor, N.J. -- A new Fashion Merchandising program is being
launched at Mercer County Community College's (MCCC) Trenton
campus this fall in the college's new Trenton Hall (the former
home of Home Furniture Inc.), located across the street from
the current buildings at 102 North Broad Street.
This new
degree program, with courses to begin in a ten-week session
starting Oct. 2, prepares students for careers in fashion/apparel
sales, marketing, buying, and merchandising. Students will
learn the fashion industry from concept to consumer, as well
as customer service and management techniques. Among the career
tracks for graduates are retail merchandising, apparel management,
and wholesale or retail buying.
Mercer's
Trenton Hall will also house the college's Fashion/Apparel
Design, now in its second year. Both of these Associate in
Applied Science degrees will prepare students for direct employment
in the fashion industry, or for transfer to a four-year college.
The curriculum is in line with requirements of the first two
years at a majority of undergraduate universities and art
colleges that offer fashion career training and will include
art, design, computer applications, technical skills, and
business applications. Participating students will develop
a portfolio and complete a final project in both digital and
print formats as the capstone to their degree.
Observes
Allegra Ceci, a new Fashion Design faculty member, "Other
fashion programs are typically focused on either the business
or design side of the industry, but this program merges the
two, making our students more marketable and improving their
transfer opportunities."
Ceci is
excited to be on the ground floor of this new program. A Lawrenceville
resident who has taken both credit and non-credit classes
at Mercer, she earned her master's degree from the Fashion
Institute of Technology in New York City and has a bachelor's
degree in Integrated Arts from Bard College. Ceci spent four
years in fabric development for Calvin Klein and Coach and
has taught courses in marketing, visual merchandising, and
textile science as an adjunct instructor at Berkley College
of Business (New York/New Jersey).
According
to Associate Professor Tina LaPlaca, coordinator of the Fashion/Apparel
Design and Merchandising programs, MCCC's close proximity
to the Philadelphia and New York City markets was a key factor
in deciding to establish the program in Trenton. "Our
tri-state region is one of the nation's largest for this industry,
where skilled students can find employment as assistant fashion
designers, stylists, visual display artists, product and merchandise
managers and fashion illustrators," she said.
Among
Mercer's Fashion Merchandising courses are: Fashion: the Global
Marketplace; Introduction to Textiles for Fashion; Principles
of Marketing; Principles of Retailing; Introduction to Fashion
Merchandising; History of Costume Design; and Entrepreneurship.
Fashion Design course descriptions are available here.
MCCC will
host an Open House at its Trenton Campus on Thursday, Sept.
27, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event, entitled "Building on
a Proud History," will include tours of renovated facilities
in campus buildings at 102 North Broad, along with the new
Fashion Design labs and other classrooms in Trenton Hall.
Visitors will have the opportunity to talk with faculty, staff,
and students about academic programs offered in Trenton and
enjoy refreshments. A presentation by college leaders will
commence in Kerney Hall at 5 p.m.
For details
on the Trenton Open House, read more here.
Community guests are asked to RSVP here.
For more information, contact the MCCC President's Office
at 609-570-3613 or the Trenton Campus Provost's Office at
609-570-3160.
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