Visual Merchandising Majors Go “Back Through the Decades”

Students in Professor Grailing King’s Visual Merchandising: History, Theory and Practice class are taking everyone passing through LIM’s newest space in Maxwell Hall on a trip through time.

Last week, at an event attended by faculty, staff, family members, and industry professionals, the class unveiled “Back Through the Decades,” a new visual installation on the first floor of Maxwell Hall consisting of a series of visual vignettes representing the 1900’s through the 1980’s.

Working in small groups, 17 Visual Merchandising majors used their prodigious talents to create work that reflects not only what was happening in fashion during each decade, but also incorporates the era’s cultural and political conditions.

For example, a display featuring a woman dressed in a “Rosie the Riveter”-inspired outfit that signifies women’s entry into what had been traditionally male workplaces during the 1940s also includes such historically accurate details as letters she’s received from a husband fighting overseas in World War II, along with movie posters from that era. A 1980’s-themed display showcases Keith Haring-inspired artwork behind a mannequin with — of course — big hair.

I’m proud of our students’ hard work on this stunning exhibit — and encourage everyone in the LIM community to enjoy and learn from it.