Twelve students majoring in merchandising, apparel and textiles (MAT) spent their spring break in Paris, France with Dr. Scarlett Wesley, Associate Professor in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management. The ten-day department study tour provided three hours of elective credit (MAT 480) and spanned from Friday, March 11, to Sunday, March 20.
The optional study tour class is held annually over spring break and alternates locations between Paris, France and Florence and Rome, Italy. The trip allows MAT students to travel to international fashion capitals and learn about all aspects of the merchandising, apparel and textiles industries. While on this year’s trip to Paris, students and faculty attended several appointments with designers and visited well-known tourist attractions throughout the city. The study tour is designed to expose students to career opportunities and involve them with hands-on learning about the fashion industry and interrelationships among key components, particularly design, merchandising, textiles and promotion.
This year’s tour included visits to several designers including Thomasine, Atelier Cologne, Fragonard Musée, Merci, Mahlia Kent, Martin Grant, Lesage and a private tour at Hermѐs. The students were also granted the opportunity to attend both the La Galaries Lafayette and LeBon Marche fashion shows.
Among the twelve students were MAT junior, Lexy Freeman, and freshman, Kristina Rosen. Both were very inspired and determined to attend the trip after learning about it from Dr. Wesley.
“Being outside of my familiar routine and environment for ten days was difficult at first, but it showed me that sometimes I do need to go outside of my comfort zone,” said Rosen. “Traveling abroad for the first time with eleven other girls I barely knew was completely unfamiliar to me, but through this experience I was able to learn about a new culture and develop new friendships.”
Students were given ample free time in the evenings to further explore all that Paris has to offer. The students did a bus tour of the city and visited well-known places such as Sacré Coeur, Versailles, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Pont des Arts lock bridge and, of course, the Eiffel Tower.
Narrowing down a specifically memorable or favorite part of the trip was difficult for Freeman, as she considered every single aspect of the trip to be amazing. “My favorite visits were to Hermѐs and Lesage,” said Freeman. “Hermѐs isn’t anything I will ever be able to afford, but getting an exclusive tour, learning about the history and seeing all of the amazing clothing, scarfs, bags and jewelry was so cool. Lesage was what I looked forward to the most prior to the trip, and it surely did not disappoint.”
This annual study tour is open to any student in the MAT major and grants elective credit or professional support elective credit to participants. In addition to the stay in Paris, students meet approximately seven times prior to spring break to prepare and learn about the local area and culture. Both Freeman and Rosen are strong advocates for future prospective students.
“Be sure to take advantage of a study tour to another country because there aren’t many opportunities like this one,” said Rosen. “The trip is only ten days and it goes by fast, so make sure to embrace each moment and live it up because you can always rest when you return home.”
Freeman first heard about the trip at the end of her sophomore year. “Dr. Wesley told me Paris changes you once you go, and she was right,” said Freeman. “She also told me that once you go, you daydream about going back—she was so right.”
Students (from left to right) Kristina Rosen, Taylor Camacho, Madison Arms,
Elizabeth Neyer and Lexy Freeman in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Dr. Scarlett Wesley (front left) and this year’s study tour
students during an appointment with a fashion retailer.