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Fashion Retailing and Entrepreneurship
Community Partners
Working with local businesses can not only create opportunities for us to provide academic support and resources to those small companies in need, but also help our students further apply their knowledge in a real-business setting and obtain industrial experience before graduations.
Here is a highlight of a few local and regional businesses who have worked with us as our community partners. We continue to look for new businesses to whom we can offer our resources and support, especially to those under-represented and under-privileged businesses.
b:SR
b:SR is a small run, in-house production apparel design house, keeping the quality high and product exclusive, which takes pride in every detail. Each Design piece is inspired both figuratively and sometimes creating unique pieces, with a purpose. The brand looks to the past to create today and consider the future for our clientele. Classic is forever while trends are gone in a day. b:SR strives to make it make sense, no need for fluff unless it breaks your fall.
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- Involved in day-to-day tasks to run a business within the fashion industry, including apparel manufacturing, and cost analysis.
- Fashion design, customization, fitting techniques to finish, and results.
- Fabrications and different finishes and washes.
- Specialty sewing techniques
- Customer service needs
- Collaborate and network with other artisans and retail buyers
US Artisan Marketplace & Carolyn Hearn Designs
Carolyn Hearn Designs creates beautiful jewelry that is handcrafted in California. Each piece is created with women’s busy lifestyles in mind. The jewelry is designed to easily transition with you throughout your day. Whether you are enjoying an early morning yoga session, running around town, or going out for the evening, CH believes your jewelry should move with you. Each piece of jewelry is convertible, lightweight, and durable to keep up with you and your busy life. CH also believes you should love your jewelry. Their customers are the soul of the business. CH values customer feedback and uses it to continue to grow and improve, not only our jewelry but the entire customer experience.
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- Design and production process of apparel and jewelry
- Wholesale process, such as learning how wholesale clothing business sells articles of clothing in bulk to retailers that will resell the items to consumers.
- Customer Service, such as learning how to build rapport- with the customer, how to provide feedback, and suggesting added purchases that might go with what the customer intends to buy.
- Merchandising skills – students will have the opportunity to learn design elements and determine what elements work together
- E-Commerce- how to implement products and design for successful online sales
Fashion in the City
Fashion in the City (FITC) provides a bridge of connection between fashion designers, models, photographers, advertising agencies, modeling and talent agencies, fine artists, makeup and hair stylists, exhibitors, and all other entrepreneurs in the beauty, fashion, and entertainment industries. The overall goal of this stylish endeavor is to bring more awareness and economic growth to our local fashion industry. FITC functions to help fashion retailers thrive within the current marketplace while giving manufacturers an outlet that will effectively reach these buyers, thereby helping sustain the fashion economy. FITC works with local higher education institutions to recruit and develop talent, as well as provide an avenue for students to learn real- world skills within the various industries that contribute to their event. As part of the commitment to the Greater Sacramento Area economy, their marketing strategy involves collaboration with local businesses and groups to create new sales and networking opportunities.
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- Event planning, Fashion show prepping, Day of execution, social media
- Online Magazine planning, Fashion Shoot planning & execution
- Interview & Story writeups
Retrospect-Vintage Fashion
Retrospect-Vintage Fashion (RVF) is a sustainable style house that specializes in vintage fashion and vintage styling. RVP only uses 100% green and eco-friendly textiles and brings them to life in visually creative ways and concepts. RVP also are showing people how to save the earth and their pockets through vintage fashion and vintage wardrobe styling. The organization has a team of award-winning stylists that are bi-costal from Los Angeles to New York sourcing the most avant-garde, one-of-a-kind vintage pieces from all over the world.
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- Learn how to identify vintage clothing, vintage accessories, and vintage brands/brand
- Learn how to source in the field, and find unique vintage pieces, including vintage of all eras. Sourcing includes but is not limited to thrift stores, street sales, estate sales, vintage boutiques, e- thrifting on Poshmark/ebay/etsy/grailed, pop-ups, and other events.
- Deliver and produce concepts for visual stories by using brands' vintage clothing and accessories.
- Schedule posts and stories on all SM platforms to showcase new items, arrivals, showroom pieces, studio service pieces, brands, events, and more.
- Merchandise and set up a showroom/pop-up boutique/trunk show.
- Network with buyers, sellers, potential customers, peers, businesses, and more
SPARKLE Bridal Couture
SPARKLE Bridal Couture is a Plus Size Bridal Salon that is solely dedicated to chic plus size bridal and stylish special occasion gowns sizes 14-30. At SPARKLE, curvy brides have an entire showroom filled with the most unique, exclusive bridal gowns. Sparkle Couture also includes Cocktail & Special Occasions, Hairpieces & Veils, Jewelry, and Accessories.
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- connect stores and merchandising teams, who understand what sells and what customers respond to.
- hands-on visual merchandising and proper merchandise selection for the target audience.
- business and entrepreneur skills to experience first-hand.
- the ins and outs of working and running a fashion bridal retail business.
- effective time management skills.
- product management strategies and supply chain management.
- general awareness of the industry, business, and the roles they play in both.
- how a business operates and how buying and merchandising decisions are made.
Swagger House of Art & Fashion
Swagger House of Art & Fashion is a Women's Boutique specializing in feminine, and stylish for grown women. Collections include categories: 9-5, Mix & match, After 5
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- sew-specific fabrics, applying basic sewing techniques distinctive to the swagger brands
- fabrics and different textures, reading and altering apparel patterns
- basic cut & sew skills
- visual / product merchandising/creating effective displays that draw the eye of prospective customers
Unnew Magazine
Unnew Magazine is a sustainable styling publication that focuses on secondhand, thrift, and secondhand fashions and stories pertaining to used goods. UNNEW Magazine represents 100% eco-friendly textiles and showcases them within the pages in creative concepts. Our stories take you back to bring you forward to share with our readers where what they have now comes from.
UNNEW Magazine’s other attributes will consist of an awards production that will honor those who continue to promote sustainability and save the planet.
This business has offered a variety of experiences and responsibilities to our students, and our students have provided solid deliverables:
- Learn how to identify secondhand clothing, secondhand accessories, and secondhand brands/brand
- Learn how to source in the field and find unique secondhand pieces of all eras. Sourcing includes but is not limited to thrift and vintage stores, street sales, estate sales, boutiques, garage sales, and special events
- Produce visual concepts for fashion shoots by using secondhand clothing and accessories
- Schedule social media posts and stories showcasing what’s to come in upcoming issues, fashion shows, special events, and more.
- Produce and Coordinate fashion shows
- Network with store managers/owners, sellers, potential advertisers, and more.