Our Story
MPorium at Marist is an entrepreneurial boutique operated by students enrolled in the Retail Entrepreneurship course. As a live retail laboratory, MPorium allows students across all class levels and areas of study to delve into the nuances required for running and maintaining a fashion enterprise, including the challenges and responsibilities of operating a fully functional retail store and e-commerce website. The class is divided into seven teams that concentrate on both the creative and strategic elements that work together to create a cohesive business strategy: Finance, Buying & Merchandise Planning, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, E-Commerce, Store Operations/ Human Resources, and Event/Community Outreach.
MPorium moved to a permanent 1,200 square foot retail space on the ground floor of the new Steel Plant building in November 2018. The store is a rotating concept shop featuring themed curated collections of products that align with the top trends in the marketplace today. Once a new theme is established each semester, students plan product assortment, marketing tactics, and visual displays to form a cohesive concept.
MPorium at Marist is dedicated to providing a unique, ever-changing product selection to the Marist community and the Greater Hudson Valley. Through community outreach, we stay connected to local charities and organizations and encourage collaboration with local artists and designers. MPorium collaborates with other courses on the Marist College campus to create and maintain a unified learning experience. Whether it be through partnering with students in the Fine Arts Department or the School of Computer Science & Math, students are exposed to all elements of the retail industry. Another component of our approach to cross-collaboration is in providing live data to other courses that add context to traditional learning materials. MPorium offers the unique opportunity to gain real world experience in all aspects of the fashion business industry, leaving students with valuable skills that can help in future career opportunities.
The profits generated by MPorium at Marist help to fund the MPorium Scholarship, awarded to outstanding freshman Fashion Merchandising students each year.
Press:
Forbes Names Marist a Top 10 College that is Shaping the Future of Fashion
Marist's Steel Plant Renovation Expands Opportunities for Students
The Steel Plant Studio at Marist College
Vogue The Best Fashion Schools For Design, Marketing, and More
Learn More:
Marist College Fashion Program: MPorium
Renovated Steel Plant is Unveiled
About Marist:
Located on the banks of the historic Hudson River, in midtown Manhattan, and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist is consistently recognized for excellence by The Princeton Review (Colleges That Create Futures and The Best 384 Colleges), U.S. News & World Report (8th Best Regional University/North, 2nd Most Innovative School/North), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best College Values”), and others. The College is top-ranked for long-term study abroad (#7 in the U.S.) by the U.S. State Department’s Open Doors report. Marist educates more than 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,400 adult and graduate students in 47 undergraduate majors and numerous graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees. Pending accreditation approval, the College plans to open the Marist Health Quest School of Medicine in 2022. www.marist.edu
