Student Body Boutique Grand Re-Opening

Last updated on Oct 6, 2019

By Shannon Miller

News & Managing Editor

The Student Body Boutique held its grand reopening Monday, Sept. 23, at its new location on the first floor of Hillwood Commons. The new location allows students and faculty to eas-ily browse and purchase current fashion trends.

The boutique, which was previously in the center storefront space on the second floor of Hillwood, is now located just across from Starbucks. “The store moved actually because we needed a bigger space, and we needed more attention to the space,” said freshman Madeline Jordan, a fashion merchandising major and boutique sales clerk.

The boutique’s executive board, which consists of fashion merchandising majors and minors, preferred the new space because it’s a location that generates more foot traffic, according to Cherie Serota, professor of fashion merchandising. “It doesn’t hurt in terms of getting people around the store and into the store, with a cup of coffee or without a cup of coffee, it’s fine either way,” she said.

Added at the new location is an upgraded dressing room, making it easier for customers to purchase the correct size. The boutique staff are also ramping up their accessory merchandise and have plans for a future “Instagrammable” wall. “If you notice, there’s a black wall on the left-hand side of the boutique. We’re going to use that as a space where the student population at large can come in and decorate that wall in any way they’d like,” Serota said.

Each month, the CMO will introduce a new theme for the wall and advertise it to the student body. Students can look forward to different contests which involve displaying their artwork or coming up with new and creative artwork in the store, according to Serota. The wall will also incorporate a trend watch organized and managed by the fashion club and students from the fashion merchandising program. “You can include all kinds of components. Music, art, it’s really the Zeitgeist of fashion,” she said, “We are inspired by everything around us in the fashion world.”

There are various areas the board desires to explore and revisit like collaborations with shops in and around town. Last spring, they collaborated with the Junior League Thrift Shop in Roslyn and brought in all kinds of vintage merchandise for a short period of time. New items are always flowing in, and their buys are done by the season. Serota recommends that those who stop in the boutique at the beginning of the semester, check back often. “There’s a piece of something for everybody here,” Jordan said. “There’s jewelry, school supplies, clothes, jackets, pants, anything anyone could need.”

While merchandise sold in the boutique is selected and purchased primarily by the executive board and The Fashion Network Club, students in FM 20 are invited to join them on the buying trip to New York City to learn and participate in the experience. Structure of the board members change each year, and 2019’s board members include CEO Julia Porter, CMO Christina Pasqualicchio, COO Nyasia Folk, and Hema Chimpidi, who serves as the liaison between the fashion club and the boutique. The board is currently searching for a CFO.

The fashion merchandising program incorporates the content of its curriculum in several of its courses by engaging students in the boutique’s operations. “In two or three of our classes we’ve engaged the students in a learning component actually live in the store,” Serota said. FM 12 – business of fashion merchandising, FM 14 – math for merchandising, FM 20 – buying for the fashion industry and FM 50 – visual merchandising and display are all courses which utilize the store for engaged learning, according to Serota.

The Student Body Boutique encourages new ideas, which are always welcome because it’s a student run organization, according to Serota. They’re looking to involve students and their ideas from all over campus. “We welcome anyone in the university to help out with the store and to engage in the learning experience,” she said.