Nov. 28 opening for new professional wardrobe success option

A grand opening date of Nov. 28, 2023, at 2 p.m. was held for Professionally Purple Closet, where any ECU student can visit in the Rivers Building and find the right professional wardrobe piece or pieces to help sail to success!

This project and opening (in Rivers 143) was developed from students and instructor Wanda Montano in the course MRCH 3003 in the Department of Interior Design and Merchandising, part of the College of Health and Human Performance.

Ribbon cutting for Professionally Purple. Nov. 28, 2023.

What: Professionally Purple Closet, where students Sail to Success.
A new campus-wide resource for all ECU students who have an interview for a job, field placement or internship, or are attending a professional conference.

Where: Rivers 143.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-5 p.m.; Wednesdays by appointment.

Who: Any ECU student is eligible to use the closet who has:

• job interviews,
• internships and field placement interviews /assignments, or
• is attending a professional conference or seminar.

Want to help?

• Provide gently used professional attire, laundered or dry cleaned.
• Cash donations are also accepted to help purchase items not conducive to donations, such as shapewear, socks, and undergarments (also purchases via our Professionally Purple Closet Amazon wishlist).
• Contact Wanda Montano to schedule drop-off or pickup of donations. Additional questions may be directed to Montano at montanow23@ecu.edu, 252-328-6929, cell 252-751-3925, or to department chair Dr. Amanda Muhammad at muhammada22@ecu.edu.

Thank you for your consideration to support the closet through donations of merchandise or funds. Cash donations may be made directly to the Professionally Purple Closet via the University Advancement online giving link. If $2,500 can be raised, IDMR will match the $2,500.

Additional background:
The College of Health and Human Performance developed a class within our Interior Design and Merchandising Department to establish a campus-wide professional clothing closet addressing clothing needs of ECU students, enhancing opportunities for success.

While teaching participants, using a multidisciplinary approach, about entrepreneurship and philanthropy, this class framework addresses business plan development, marketing, showroom establishment and operations, merchandise management and other aspects of the business side of a small retail business. This project also incorporates human factors such as implicit bias, cultural awareness and being trauma informed.