Oceanside High School students stepped inside the fashion world last month when the Mixology Clothing Company welcomed them for a behind-the-scenes look at careers in retail, marketing and merchandise. The visit was part of the school’s expanding Work-Based Learning program, which connects classroom lessons to hands-on industry experiences in a range of fields.
Students from fashion, business, English as a New Language and career-readiness classes joined the trip on Oct. 29, which gave them an opportunity to explore how different career paths intersect in the retail industry. Work-Based Learning Coordinator Iris Wiener said the outing offered students a chance to see how their academic strengths and personal interests can translate into future careers.
“The staff at Mixology were incredibly informative and kind,” Wiener said. “They went above and beyond to share their passion for their jobs, their different roads to working for Mixology and the many different opportunities available within retail and fashion.”
Mixology, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Lynbrook, focuses on curating looks that blend high and low price points to create affordable, modern style. During the visit, company staffers gave the students a presentation on MixU, or Mixology University, a six-week summer program taught by industry professionals covering topics ranging from creative development to e-commerce to becoming the next generation of fashion leaders.
The visitors also learned about marketing, using social media, purchasing, e-commerce and merchandising, giving them a full picture of what it takes to run a retail brand.
“We love being a company that these young students can come to and learn about the different facets that go into running a fashion business,” said Nadia Trento, manager of the Oceanside location.
OHS senior Laura Serrano Salas, who is interested in learning about different careers, said she was struck by how interconnected the work is behind the scenes.
“It’s so interesting that they all work together on modeling the clothes, selling them, the marketing, making social media posts and doing things through their store online,” Serrano Salas said.
She was also drawn to MixU. “I really like the idea that they went to college for something different,” she said of the MixU mentors. “They really supported us during the visit. The girls talked about how it all worked, and it was really interesting.”
Freshman Rebecca Blaum, who is taking an Intro to Business class, said the experience opened her eyes to the many facets of the fashion world.
“There’s way more complexity in the fashion industry than there is in other industries,” Blaum said. “There’s so much branding involved and so many other detailed talks that you have to complete. But it makes it way more interesting to learn about, because there are so many aspects like marketing, modeling and social media, and that’s what makes it unique.”
Students also learned that career paths are rarely linear.
“We learned how your jobs can change, how your major in college does not determine what you do for the rest of your life, and that there are so many pathways to get you to where you want to go,” Blaum added. “It’s really helpful to see how the business world works, because it’s learning something other than academics that will set you up for success.”
The trip to Mixology was one of several Work-Based Learning experiences available to Oceanside High students. Some recently met with a police officer to learn about law enforcement careers, and others toured Citi Field, where they heard from stadium employees in the media room.
Wiener said every experience shows students that their interests can take them in directions they may not have expected — an idea made evident during their day at Mixology. For many, the visit strengthened their understanding of how fashion, business and creativity overlap, opening a variety of career possibilities.
