Greetings Retail Design Institute Southwest + Pacific Chapter!

Southwest + Pacific
Jun 2
3 min read

Updated: Jun 4

Last week's SKIMS Sunset Blvd Flagship tour was a huge success. Thanks to all of you who came and thank you so much to our sponsors! Record turnout for the Southwest + Pacific Chapter! The attendees were greeted at the store entrance by board members who passed out the handy laminated floor maps and guides. It was fun to see everyone guiding themselves around and stopping for impromptu conversations with their peers and store staff. Key members of the SKIMS Store Design team were there and the mood was perfectly lively.

After the tour we met across the street at Chin Chin for a delicious sit down meal and complimentary drinks from the open bar. Chapter President, James Botha of RDC, who was the project architect for the flagship, spoke to the group about the experience of designing and building the store. Representatives of all our sponsors, who also worked on the store, were there and included RDC, B+N, Bernstein Display, and Henderson Engineers.

Did you know the Southwest + Pacific Chapter includes Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Hawaii? It's true! If you know any innovative store experiences, retail companies or consultants in any of these areas please let us know! We'd love to spotlight them in this series... southwestpacific@retaildesigninstitute.org.

A Delectable Education Event at LATTC

Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) in Downtown Los Angeles hosted their Dine & Design Luncheon event last month. The Retail Design Institute Southwest + Pacific Education Chair, Cindy Patino and Graphic Design & Communications Chair, Allison Wix attended this fantastic event. The event provided an exclusive look at their Culinary and Fashion Merchandising Programs, offering a curated campus experience that highlighted two of their most celebrated and career-focused pathways. The event was organized in partnership with Workforce Innovation Labs, which supports LATTC's educational programs. Additionally, LATTC is currently in the construction phase of a new state-of-the-art Design and Media Arts Building.

A heartfelt thank you to Diane Murphy, Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising (new RDI Chapter member) and LATTC for such a warm welcome and a great experience! We truly appreciated the hospitality.

Educator Member Spotlight: Diane Murphy, Associate Professor, Fashion Merchandising LATTC

This month we shine a member spotlight in our educator series on Diane Murphy, Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC). Diane has taught there for 19 years and is a Southwest + Pacific Chapter member.

"My teaching capacity connects industry experience to the classroom in the retail and wholesale sectors, including buying and merchandising roles for department store and specialty store brands. I’m passionate about preparing students for success in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving retail landscape, and helping them connect to career and further educational opportunities."

"I became an educator member of the Retail Design Institute because of our shared goals to support educational programs in retail design and merchandising, collaborate with academic and industry professionals, and stay current through workshops and seminars on retail trends. The Institute also provides opportunities to our students, who are emerging industry professionals, for career development, mentoring, and expanding professional networks through social and industry events. These offerings align with my goals of advancing education, fostering the next generation of retail specialists, and engaging with the broader retail design community."

Thanks, Diane, for everything you do!

Come Join Us!

Retail Design Institute Southwest + Pacific Chapter is a fun place to connect, network, learn and have a good time. Be part of a global non-profit networking organization dedicated to the advancement of retail and retail design. The Retail Design Institute is a collaborative community where ideas, knowledge and a passion for design are shared at local levels.

RDI members enjoy a variety of benefits such as priority access to events, networking and educational seminars, access to member-only areas of the website, job postings, emerging retail trend information and access to other Chapter events.

Come join us by clicking HERE!