Fall 2024: Fashion Management Students Unveil Window Display Project
HLOs: 
By: Thi Minh Chau (Claire) Nguyen, Fashion Management Graduate Certificate student
At the intersection of Kipling Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard, the Fashion Institute's glass facade has been transformed to welcome fall with a captivating new display. As part of their FMPC 5006: Visual Merchandising and Display course, twelve student volunteers from the Fashion Management graduate certificate program and with the support of the Longo Faculty of Business, spent weeks brainstorming ideas, curating donated clothing, and completing the final on-site setup. The result is a display that embodies both aesthetic charm and deep-rooted values.
- Creativity: Eclectic, whimsical, vibrant, daring, and innovative—these adjectives describe this collection. Drawing inspiration from the classic vibe of 2000s rom-coms like Bridget Jones’s Diary, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and The Devil Wears Prada, the “temporary visual merchandisers” went beyond trends to capture a timeless lifestyle. Personalized essence was showcased through seemingly random yet intentional combinations, crafting an inviting outdoor café atmosphere with red bricks, flying leaves, coffee, and yellowed love letters.
- Sustainability: Working with a zero-based budget posed challenges, but the students rose to the occasion by repurposing donated vintage clothing and previously unused props. Ingeniously, a pullover became a strapless overlay, while a pair of pants found new life as a shoulder drape. Nothing new was purchased, and nothing old was discarded—demonstrating a commitment to upcycling and sustainable fashion.
- Collaboration: The project’s success was driven by an exceptional level of teamwork, with each student’s ideas and insights contributing to a unified fashion narrative. The blend of diverse perspectives created a display that resonates with inclusivity and creativity.
Though the project has concluded, the team’s spirit endures in a Spotify playlist of coffee culture-inspired songs, shared with passersby via QR codes displayed on the poster. The window display will remain up until winter, when a new project will take its place.
Special thanks to Professor Vladimira Steffek for her practical insights in Visual Merchandising and for incorporating the project into the course, and to Professor Rossie Kadiyska, who guided students through each stage, from concept to final touches.
