Daily Skiff

Fashion merchandising students are using their design skills in a project for a local nonprofit organization to support ongoing services for the victims of domestic violence.

Students in Patti Warrington's promotion principles class are partnering with SafeHaven of Tarrant County to create window displays in the department of design, merchandising and textiles building.

The displays use clothing from the organization's local resale retail store, Berry Good Buys, in order to help better promote the business to students.

"SafeHaven contacted us last spring about designing some displays for Berry Good Buys," Warrington said. "We wanted to explore ways that students could help display merchandise and Berry Good Buys turned out to be a good challenge for the students."

Sophomore fashion merchandising major Becca Zielinski said she is able to apply what she learned in class to the project.

"Everything we've talked about in class helped us work through the planning and problems with the displays," Zielinski said.

Shannon Coffey, also a sophomore fashion merchandising major in Warrington's class, said working on this project has been rewarding.

"Fixing problems with the design and seeing the display come together really gave a sense of accomplishment," Coffey said.

Berry Good Buys sells donated clothing to fund SafeHaven of Tarrant County, which provides assistance and emergency shelter programs to victims of domestic violence. According to their Web site, SafeHaven of Tarrant County runs two emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling and legal and educational services.

Sarah McClellan-Brandt, community relations coordinator for SafeHaven of Tarrant County, said the fashion merchandising department was contacted as part of a campaign to revamp Berry Good Buys' business plan.

"So far, the campaign has been successful," McClellan-Brandt said.

Danna Wall, the Berry Good Buys store manager, agreed with McClellan-Brandt.

"The displays have helped sales a bit," Wall said. "I just wish more of the public could see the displays."

Wall said she didn't have an exact number for the increase in sales, but she had definitely seen an increase.

The displays will be up until Nov. 14.

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