At a loss for what to get someone as the holidays approach? Check out the merchandise at FIT’s own Style Shop, co-managed this year by Fashion Business Management students Christiana Maticke and Kyrah Kelly. Here, they recommend an array of items at various price points for everyone on your list.
The students revamped the store layout this year, creating a pathway that makes shopping easier. They also expanded the merchandise assortment, so just in time for the change in seasons, you can pick up a pair of fuzzy slippers along with a tube of lip balm at the beauty counter to keep your lips hydrated during the dry winter months.
But the team never forgets what sells best: FIT-branded merchandise. “Now we can have a lot more of it on the floor,” Kelly said. She also noted that the Style Shop outsells the FIT Campus Store in college-themed merchandise because all of it is student-designed.
The Style Shop is run exclusively by students in the Merchandising Society, FIT’s largest club, from the management and visual merchandising to the financials and volunteer shifts at the shop. All proceeds go back into the shop to fund field trips for students to visit other retailers.
The managers’ strategy for the holidays is to give their customers—mostly students but also parents, alumni, and professors—holiday-themed items that are attractive for use throughout the year. Think vintage sweaters, beauty products, tabletop decor, FIT merchandise, and jewelry.
“FIT students are very on-trend,” Maticke said, adding that she and Kelly know because they do trend reports and customer analytics.
Maticke and Kelly’s recommendations for gifts from the shop this season include:
Cozy beige fuzzy slippers, $20.
Student-designed FIT merchandise, various prices.
ESW Beauty hydrating lip treatment in different flavors: vanilla almond butter, guava mango smoothie, and white pitaya coconut smoothie, $12; Laneige lip sleeping mask, $24; Spa Life shower steamers, $8.
Unique vintage watches, $10–$15.
Unique holiday cards, $4.
Hot chocolate bombs, $7.
Set of four blue-and-yellow-striped coasters, $5. Geometric green-and-white-striped makeup bag, $10.
Follow the Style Shop on Instagram for product updates and check out this recent video for a tour of the shop with Kelly and Maticke.