Earlier this year, Benefit Cosmetics approached the School of Fashion, hoping that our students could breathe new life into the brand’s store displays. Fashion Merchandising students met with Benefit’s General Manager, Aurelian J.A. Lis, in January, and were given their task: Redesign the Benefit Cosmetics displays so that they highlighted new product offerings, incorporated innovative technology, and maintained the brand identity. Students were encouraged to think outside the box and make it fun – to create something that would really entice the Benefit gal.

Three projects were chosen to be presented to the Benefit Cosmetics team. Nerissa Arviana and Dian Sari, Araceli Tostada, and Lita Teplitz visited the Benefit Headquarters and proposed their ideas for revamping the shopping experience.

Nerissa Arviana and Dian Sari’s project was chosen by the Benefit team, for its creativity, shopability, and embodiment of the Benefit DNA. They did a truly wonderful job – and we can’t wait to see how their innovative ideas are put to use!

Congratulations to all of the finalists – you did a wonderful job!

Flore Morton, one of our styling instructors, would like to introduce you to the Academy of Art University Styling Network! It is a Facebook page where you can meet other Stylists, Photographers, Fashion Designers, Make-up Artists, and Hair Stylists from the Academy of Art University and beyond. You can network, find a crew for your tests shoots, discuss your projects, talk to other artists, and most of all, stay inspired!!!

We have a discussion group in San Francisco, but if you need to travel and still want to test, we have a worldwide network as well.

Head on over to Facebook and like the Academy of Art University Styling Network page - and take advantage of this great network!

Name: Christine Esoldo

Where do you live? Lancaster, Pa. with plans of moving to Los Angeles sometime in the next few years

Area of study: MFA in merchandising (I have a BA in journalism)

Day job/occupation: I work in digital marketing, content strategy/copywriting, and user experience. I’m also in the process of launching a pet photography business and I volunteer at my local Humane League as a photographer.

What qualities do you most value in others?

Authenticity, reliability, and the ability to laugh at oneself even through embarrassing moments. I also appreciate a good grasp of basic grammar and knowledge of the difference between “they’re,” “their,” and “there.”

Who are some of your favorite designers, journalists, bloggers, stores, etc?

I’m sort of a jewelry junkie, especially statement jewelry. My favorite designers include DanniJo, Fenton, Fallon, and Lulu Frost. I also love J.Crew jewelry and have recently purchased way too many items from JewelMint. And of course, you can never go wrong with Tiffany.

 List a guilty pleasure:

I might be embarrassing myself here, but I love watching reruns of Ghost Whisperer and I was super disappointed when they cancelled it unexpectedly (Melinda’s clothes were amazing and I loved her antique shop!). Nothing like a relaxing evening at home curled up on the couch with my beagles, sipping on a glass of wine, reading magazines, and watching Ghost Whisperer. I’ve also been known to watch reruns of The Hills while on the treadmill. Watching a good catfight really gets the adrenaline pumping.

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On Thursday, December 15th, 2011, students from the School of Fashion unveiled their window displays at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. Since 2005, visual merchandising students have worked with the hotel each year to create interior window displays that highlight the hotel’s rich and exciting history.

Three of the displays are located on the California level and one is located on the main level. The main level display is titled, “New Kids on the Block” and showcases new employees at the hotel. The geometric shapes create a modern display that contrasts beautifully with hotel’s vintage feel.

New Kids on the Block – By Gina Chou and Kevin Mihovich. L-R: Instructor Martin Zanfardino, Gina Chou, and Jim Cardosa

On the California level, the first display is “Greetings from the Mark”. Set against a beautiful background of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in the San Francisco skyline, vintage postcards cascade from a hand-constructed mailbox. The postcards tell stories of guests’ adventures at The Mark, dating all the way back to the 1930s. Many of the post-cards were bought online from vintage dealers, and give the display true meaning, as they are part of the hotel’s story.

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