When you are at the mall, you might window shop.

Now when you go to the Millcreek Mall, you can see that the Mercyhurst Visual Merchandising class has decorated some of the display windows throughout various stores.

The students created the window displays using different products from local merchandisers. The designs will be up for three weeks and feature items hand-picked by our Lakers.

The class is taught by Erin Magorien and includes the annual assignment where the students get to experience being the visual merchandiser. This class has been working on this project for the whole semester.

Every student is assigned a special group, such as catering, donations or marketing, and then is given instructions and contacts for working with a relevant store.

The stores that teamed up with the class this year were Windsor, Charming Charlie’s and Tilly’s.

Each group pulled three outfits and accessories to create a detailed, themed display case. The displays were part of a larger contest called “Faces of Fall,” in which the public was able to vote on their favorite window display.

The Pumpkin Spice display in the Charming Charlie’s store took first place in the contest. This was a Mercyhurst design that focused on fall-themed foods and how they relate to fashion. The students used clothing, shoes and jewelry from Charming Charlie’s for the window, which they painted using white paint.

For many students, the beauty of this class is how true it is to the real-world job experiences they will have.

Jenna Cavuoto, a junior Fashion Merchandising major and a member of the winning team, spoke about the work that went into her special section.
“You have to be very persistent and direct while working with different types of food vendors and coordinating with other groups to have the best outcome for the entire event,” Cavuoto said. “I learned so much real life knowledge from the experience.”