After a successful start in the Spring '22 semester, the course returned for the '22-'23 school year
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 27, 2022 / ByondXR, the market leader for immersive virtual retail experiences, announced that it is bringing its software to the classroom through an exclusive course created for the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). The Business of Virtual Merchandising, which first launched in January 2022 for the Spring 2022 semester, focused on sustainability and technological advancements in fashion as the industry moves further toward future of virtual retail technologies. In the Fall 2022 semester, the course will focus on the changes in retail merchandising for wholesale showrooms, retail visual merchandising and online platforms, and B2B/B2C business models. FIT is also exploring options for adding more advanced 3D courses into the curriculum.
The course teaches students to apply cloud-based virtual software to create virtual showrooms for wholesale and retail brands. Throughout the semester, they will be able to apply their skills to merchandise collections, plan and allocate product catalogs, and create visual merchandising presentations - all in a virtual setting.
"It's an honor to help young minds learn about fast-evolving and ever-changing technology within the fashion industry," said Noam Levavi, CEO and Co-founder of ByondXR. "We were happy to hear positive feedback from the students in the Spring ‘22 course and that they felt the skills they learned were incredibly relevant in today's market. Now more than ever, we have a duty as a technology leader in the fashion industry to share our knowledge, skills, and resources with emerging talent."
Registration for the Fall 2022 course has more than doubled in size compared to the spring registration. Due to this high demand, the course has expanded from one cohort to two, giving students the opportunity to work in a virtual merchandising environment gained through the use of ByondXR's Virtual Showroom Platform.
"This course was very fun to teach last semester and I'm excited to bring the material to new students this school year," said Jennifer Bentivegna, assistant professor and assistant chairperson, Fashion Business Management at FIT, and an FIT graduate who helped build the course to fit student needs and teaches the class at FIT. "Last year, my students expressed confidence that learning more skills around the new web platforms and multi-reality commerce will help them secure more opportunities in the job market or even internships. I'm looking forward to returning to the classroom this Fall and continuing to explore the world of virtual experiences and its relationship with the fashion industry with my students."
"Today's students are extremely motivated and excited for the possibilities that the future of the industry will bring," said Robin Sackin, assistant professor of Fashion Business Management at FIT. "They are enthusiastic about exploring new opportunities and careers in this ever-evolving industry. As we all look ahead, it is important to realize that the opportunities that were available for a graduate 10 years ago are comparably different to those available today."
About ByondXR
Founded in 2016, ByondXR, a true virtual experiences pioneer, is transforming retail and disrupting eCommerce through its immersive Commerce platform. By creating virtual environments mimicking real-life stores and showrooms, ByondXR has created an engaging experience for consumers to browse products online and decorate their homes more efficiently. Its customizable 3D platform takes consumers on an interactive journey recreated with photorealism. The platform supports the beta deployment of virtual stores onto some of the leading new platforms and virtual worlds - like Roblox, Decentraland, Zepeto, and many more. In addition, the platform enables users & partners to fully manage and configure their own virtual stores by adding plugins, features, visuals, and more.
Controlling plugins lets users add their own eCommerce, media, and fun elements inside. Users can now decide what, when, and how they want to showcase in their store making managing a virtual store comprehensive, easy, and quick. The new iteration provides powerful analytics that takes measuring results and stores optimization to a whole new level. This innovative technology has been used by major international beauty, fashion, and home decor brands, including but not limited to Target, Coca-Cola, L'Oreal, YSL Beauty, NARS, VidaGlow, Mondelez, and Caesarstone.
ByondXR's virtual solutions have given retailers not only a lifeline in the current environment but a competitive edge in a forward-thinking future. For more information, visit www.byondxr.com.
Media Contact:
Angelika Mnatsakanyan
PR & Communications
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About FIT
A part of the State University of New York, FIT has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history. Providing almost 9,000 students with an uncommon blend of hands-on, practical experience, theory, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, the college offers a wide range of affordable programs that foster innovation and collaboration. Its distinctive curriculum is geared to today's rapidly growing creative economy, including fields such as computer animation, toy design, production management, film and media, and cosmetics and fragrance marketing. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers nearly 50 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the new creative economy.
About Fashion Business Management at FIT
In the largest and oldest degree program of its kind in the country, students study fashion business, marketing, product development, buying, planning, fashion forecasting, sourcing, styling, management, artificial intelligence, social media, and analytics. New York City serves as the extended classroom as students visit flagship stores, unique pop-up shops, fashion exhibitions at renowned museums, and even go behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. Students have the option to take an internship at a leading company, providing real-world experience.
Media Contact:
Alexandra K. Mann
Fashion Institute of Technology
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SOURCE: ByondXR