Myself and my fellow classmates Zoe Schwartzman had an amazing opportunity to collaborate with Shakedown Street a local thrift store on Main Street in Oneonta, NY to do a window display. This project was part of my Fashion Promotion course, taught by Professor Sarah Portway. Our window display theme was Winter Holidays!
Final Project Outcome
This window display was presented at Shakedown Street as part of a Community Engagement done by SUNY Oneonta students.
What I did
Between me and my partner Zoe we both agree on combining two themes Winter and Holidays for the window display. While we were both looking throughout the store I was looking for pieces based on color (dark rich colors) and silhouette of the garments to create a cohesive outfit. The mannequin to the right was our holiday outfit where we incorporated a black top and skirt to make it look like a sleek black dress, then added a brown coat along with a red clutch purse as an accessory, and also added a long necklace as a statement jewelry. Then with the mannequin to the left we had that as our winter going out outfit where we paired dark blue flare jeans with a black wrap top, we then found a dark maroon jacket which we added to the mannequin, and then added a necklace as a statement piece for the outfit. Me and Zoe had a lot of fun picking out different garments, trying on the different garments and deciding what works best for the window display based off the pieces of garments we choose together. Since this was our first time working together outside of class we were able to get to know each other and form an amazing new friendship!
What I learned
Working on a window display at Shakedown Street taught me valuable skills in visual merchandising, creativity, and attention to detail. I learned how to curate an aesthetic that tells a story while showcasing products in an engaging and impactful way. This experience also helped me develop a deeper understanding of how design elements, lighting, and layout can influence customer perception. This experience also taught me to work with someone who I've never worked with before and also work on tight deadlines as an employee at Shakedown was closing the store early due to there not being as many customers as expected. As a future fashion professional, these insights will allow me to create more compelling brand presentations, enhance retail strategies, contribute to the overall shopping experience, work as a team with someone's I've never worked with before, work on a tight deadline, but most importantly had fun while working on this project!
