Most high school classes involve a great deal of theoretical learning–students read textbooks and write papers on subjects which are prominent in the real world. Standing out from the crowd is the fashion marketing class, which provides students with first-hand experience to prepare them for a career in the industry they study.

Mrs. Conte, the Fashion Marketing teacher at Massapequa High School, has broadened the students’ knowledge regarding the fashion industry by inviting guest speakers to speak to her class on a daily basis.

“My goals for the fashion marketing class are to expose the students to a variety of guest speakers to gain more knowledge and experience in the fashion industry,” Mrs. Conte said. Whether the speaker is from a college or successful business, the visit is sure to leave a lasting impact on the students.

The students learn about new careers in the fashion industry and what they entail. Just recently, Mrs. Conte invited Mrs. Joy Davis of the Art Institute of New York to discuss the college programs in relation to fashion. Mrs. Davis prepared a Power Point presentation that included a wide variety of information concerning the process of clothing design. Fashion marketing student and sophomore Emily Ridings called the presentation “extremely helpful.”

“Enjoyment and a greater knowledge base” is exactly what Mrs. Conte wants her students to take out of the guest speaker presentations, which is why she tries her hardest to schedule them frequently.

“Typically, five to seven guest speakers are scheduled to visit for each class,” Mrs. Conte said. This enables students to view many different professions within the industry. In general, the students take the fashion marketing course to better learn the principles of fashion marketing and to explore employment opportunities within the industry.

Students have many things to look forward to when taking this course. “I am hoping to once again have my students plan, coordinate and put together a fashion show at the mall for the ‘Celebrate Massapequa’ event in the spring, and to decorate a retail store window,” Mrs. Conte said. This event will give students a hands-on opportunity to see what it is really like to work in fashion.

Mrs. Conte “loves working with the students at Massapequa High School” and she clearly exhibits that through her efforts to make the Fashion Marketing course an interactive class focused on experiential learning. Fashion marketing is a great elective for any student interested in fashion and eager to dive into real-life situations concerning it.