Publications & Sites 
New Trier students deck the mall
Winnetka -The New Trier High School Marketing and Merchandising in Fashion class create art designs that will be displayed at Old Orchard Mall this holiday season. Hands on design from left Courtney Quinn, sarah Nusekabel and Grace Slowey create a design element. | Joe Cyganowski~ For Sun Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: December 9, 2012 6:10AM
WINNETKA — Holiday displays soon will be popping up around Westfield Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, and students at New Trier High School can say they had a hand in creating the visuals that shoppers will experience.
As part of their fashion marketing and merchandising class, New Trier students teamed up with Old Orchard Mall and Oak Street Design to create three holiday displays and learn the basics of visual marketing.
The displays will be installed by the class at the mall Nov. 12 and remain in place until January.
The 22 students worked in groups to create three unique displays representing fashion, culinary and home.
Senior Sophie Litow, a member of the fashion group, plans to major in fashion marketing and saw the course as an opportunity to become more familiar with the field.
“I definitely learned a lot about marketing and making displays, especially marketing toward a particular consumer,” Litow said. “I didn’t realize how much time and effort it takes and how often you have to change (from your original design).”
Students were encouraged to use as many recyclable materials as possible. The groups designed a dress made of old magazines to place on a mannequin, used paper bags and boxes from the mall’s eateries and used magazine-made garland to decorate holiday trees.
Junior Gretha-Clare Olson and sophomore Emma Feeney were part of the food group and collected several items from the mall for use in their display. The group also plans to bake a gingerbread house to complete their design.
“I didn’t know it would be as much work as it is or how many ways you can advertise yourself,” Feeney said.
“I want to be a business major, and it sounded like a real interesting class,” Olson said. “I wanted to see a different side of things.”
While the students put the finishing touches on their displays they couldn’t help but think about the day when their works are displayed publicly.
“I’m so excited,” said sophomore Katherine Mayer. “I love Old Orchard Mall and it’ll be cool to see something we’ve done as a class at a place we love going to.”
The student-made displays will be placed at Williams-Sonoma, Barnes & Noble and at a third, undecided location within Old Orchard Mall.
