Visual Merchandising Fashion Short Course
Course description
Course overview
Do you want to learn how fashion retail spaces can be designed and arranged in order to attract customers, maximise their engagement with products, and motivate them to buy?
In this beginners' course, you will get a general overview of visual merchandising (VM) for fashion and learn the fundamental principles, inspiration and techniques involved in visual merchandising for fashion retailers.
You will get the opportunity to create two practical projects which will include a Window styling project for a Pop-Up Shop creating your own 3D model and a Fashion styling project where we will be focusing upon incorporating current consumer trends.
Who this course is for
This course is suitable for beginners with an interest in visual merchandising for fashion. There are no entry requirements for this course.
It is not advisable for students on this course to enrol on the Visual Merchandising - Interiors short course as well, as both courses have the same structure.
Key information
Topics covered
- Aligning visual merchandising with fashion branding
- Understanding basic in store visual merchandising strategies
- Designing an in-store pop up concept
- Understanding what visual merchandising is
- Understanding the role of the visual merchandiser
- Study trip to London stores to get inspiration
- Trend forecasting and how it informs the inspiration for retail concepts
- Understanding the visual merchandising strategies that attract customers to windows
- Understanding what a mood board is and how designers use them to communicate ideas
- Present ideas using a computer-generated presentation or design board for a client
During the five-day course, you will visit London, Selfridges, Dover St Market, Louis Vuitton and Swarovski to look at how the Visual Merchandising principles can be applied both creatively and commercially. At the end of the project students will present their outcomes to the rest of the group.
Learning outcomes
- Understand the key visual merchandising and display principles and how these can be applied both commercially and creatively within the retail industry
- Design your own fashion Pop-Up space utilising all the visual merchandising principles and techniques you have learnt on the course
- Gain knowledge of store layout techniques by applying the principles of customer flow throughout your shop floor space
- Apply effective product presentation techniques to an in-store space. Creating a harmonious retail environment for the customer to shop and maximise sales using link selling techniques
- Create on brand fashion inspired window displays using the key visual merchandising principles and appealing to current consumer trends
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
Please bring the following materials for the first session:
- Notebook and pen
- Camera (or camera phone)
After first session:
- Laptop or tablet, needed for research online and suggested for design board outcomes
- USB or access to equivalent cloud storage for storing content/lectures (Note: a drop box with this content will be set up for students to access/download this data)
- Basic drawing equipment - pen, pencil, ruler, eraser, glue stick, craft knife
- A couple of magazines and material samples (optional)
Tutor
Sarah Manning
Sarah Manning is a visual merchandising lecturer and specialist with over 20 years’ experience working within the visual merchandising industry in London. Sarah started her career working for luxury brands such as Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and High Street Retailer Marks & Spencer.
After launching her own visual merchandising consultancy business in 2006, she now works with retailers and businesses to create effective window displays and in store visual merchandising. Sarah has taught for the UAL since 2007 using her industry knowledge to teach short courses at the London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins.
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