The West Virginia University Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) program and Main Street Morgantown will hold a ribbon cutting for The Retail Lab on Tuesday, June 3rd at 11 a.m. at 201 High Street in downtown Morgantown.
The store marks the beginning of a new chapter for the FDM program and provides a unique shopping experience for Morgantown residents and visitors.
Run by students in the FDM program, the storefront curates and sells vintage, secondhand and repurposed fashion items and original work from artists and designers. Under faculty supervision, students participate in all aspects of the retail environment, including curation, store layout, customer service and marketing.
The space was made possible by a collaboration between the FDM program, which is part of the WVU School of Art and Design in the College of Creative Arts and Media (CCAM), and Main Street Morgantown with funding from The Benedum Foundation. The partnership provides unprecedented real-world experience for FDM students while aiding Main Street Morgantown's initiative to fill empty storefronts downtown.
Elizabeth Shorrock, a teaching assistant professor of Fashion Design and Merchandising, helped launch The Retail Lab and oversees the store. She also teaches the associated FDM course.
“A few years ago, I was speaking to one of our students who was doing a semester in Florence, Italy,” Shorrock said. “She told me about a class where they worked in a luxury resale shop in the front of the building with a classroom in the back. The students did everything involved in the day-to-day operations of the store.”
With that inspiration, Shorrock revived a previous idea to open a shop run by FDM students. She approached Jessica McDonald, a Main Street Morgantown board member, who saw possibilities for students and the community. McDonald helped coordinate the transformation of the space from an office to a retail store.
“I'm so excited to see this project come to fruition,” McDonald said. “The hard work and collaboration that brought us to this point are a testament to the strength of our community. This will be a great addition to downtown.”
Main Street Morgantown’s Artisan Entrepreneurship Program is funding the store’s first year. The program aims to help The Retail Lab become a self-sustaining enterprise. The shop will reinvest all proceeds in student and community programs, nurturing future artists and designers and buoying local entrepreneurs already working in those fields.
“Incorporating WVU students into all aspects of the business will strengthen the connection between the University and the larger community, increase foot traffic downtown and help local artisans tap into an underserved retail demographic,” Shorrock said. “I'm excited to see students and members of the community see their work and original ideas represented in a beautiful space that honors their talents. Also, I believe that this experience will motivate students to become entrepreneurs, whether that's opening their own retail shop or designing and producing their own products. That is really exciting.”
Shorrock said The Retail Lab would not be possible without support from her CCAM colleagues; including FDM Program Coordinator Dr. Katie Jones; Assistant Dean of Production, Presentation, Operations and Cultural Engagement Jamie Whoolery; Art Museum of WVU Exhibition Coordinator Sam Boehm; School of Art and Design Director Kristina Olson and CCAM Dean Keith Jackson.
“This new venture is a bold and innovative move for the School of Art and Design, the College, and the University,” Jackson said.“It adds a relevant, experiential learning opportunity for our students, a beautiful example of how collaboration between public entities can benefit our community and an important step for the College of Creative Arts and Media becoming a partner in the vibrant Morgantown artisan scene. I am incredibly proud of our faculty and students who are leading this effort.”
For more information on the FDM program, visit artanddesign.wvu.edu. To learn more about The Retail Lab, follow the store on Instagram @wvuretaillab.