Students' window display graces New York boutique

MARLBORO - Brittni Weiner had a holiday dream come true last month when she installed her winning window display in a world-renowned clothing designer's boutique in Manhattan.

Weiner, 20, a 2004 graduate of Marlboro High School, is a student in the College for the Business of Fashion at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM). She is pursuing a bachelor of business administration degree in visual merchandising at LIM.

On Dec. 1, Weiner and her fellow student Stephanie Ragusa, of Millstone Township, designed a Winter Wonderland-themed window for the Rebecca Taylor boutique on Mott Street in New York City. Taylor was on hand to view the display and to congratulate the two young women on their achievement.

"I really want to get as much experience as I can in this industry and I entered the contest because my parents always told me to take advantage of every opportunity," Weiner said. "I was in shock when our design was chosen."

Weiner was given this opportunity as part of a competition sponsored by LIM which revolved around dressing a retail window during the holiday season for the purpose of providing "hands-on" education in the area of visual retail display and design.

Their concept, "A Winter Fantasy," was inspired by the ethereal appeal of Taylor's designs. The window featured a bejeweled tree and mannequins styled as fairies in Taylor apparel. The display was featured at the boutique throughout December.

"Brittni and Stephanie did a great job of capturing the essence of our brand," Taylor said. "Their display really communicates the playful femininity of our line. It's exciting to work with students who are so enthusiastic and give them a chance to show what they can do."

Three teams of students competed in the contest. They were guided by Professor Eric Feigenbaum, chairman of LIM's Visual Merchandising department, and professors Marjorie Lee Woo and Judy Hugentobler.

Each team conceived and presented a themed window display created around specific dresses from Taylor's collection. The students' concepts were judged on theme, design, composition, color story, ability to adhere to budget and time constraints, creativity, and overall message.

Before being submitted to Taylor herself, the students' proposals were evaluated by a group of visual display experts from companies including Pucci, Nakaoka Design, Goldsmith, and Rebecca Taylor. These presentations took place on the evening of Nov. 13 in one of LIM's visual merchandising studios.

"We were thrilled to be able to partner with Rebecca Taylor to provide this incredible opportunity for our visual merchandising students," LIM President Elizabeth S. Marcuse said. "What makes LIM different from other colleges is our emphasis on real-world fashion industry experience and this collaboration really exemplifies that."

LIM is a specialized college focused on preparing future leaders in fashion merchandising, visual merchandising, marketing and management.

The school is a four-year private college offering bachelor's degree programs that combine liberal arts with hands-on exposure to fashion merchandising, visual merchandising, marketing, and management.

The Rebecca Taylor collection has expanded to include clothing, maternity, shoes, handbags, hosiery and accessories and can be found in all major department stores and top specialty boutiques across the country.