Siegel Stockman - The Art of Merchandise Display through Mannequins

  

Chelsea Cameron led our meeting at Siegel Stockman and had a lot of valuable information to share with us in terms of her past and what led her down the road to where she is now. Chelsea shared that it helped her to gain as many internships as she possibly could, and to also be as knowledgeable as possible in an effort to set herself apart from her competition. It was eye opening to hear her talk about an experience she had at an internship in which she had to use design software, and it was her previous knowledge and expertise with this software that helped her survive, while she saw other interns being fired because their boss simply didn't have the time to train them on the software, so had Chelsea not had that knowledge, she would have been fired too. Prior to landing at Siegel Stockman, Chelsea worked for Coach and also had experience doing visual merchandising at various retailers. It was these experiences that led her to Siegel Stockman, which she has now been at for three years and has come to love what she does on a daily basis. Chelsea shared with us that there is no typical day for her and that being passionate about the industry is what keeps her going since the days are often very long and hectic.

Siegel Stockman was founded in 1867 by Frederic Stockman and has since become a leader in their industry. Siegel Stockman offers a plethora of mannequins from dress forms, bust forms, jacket forms, 3/4 forms and also hand and feet forms. Their product offerings range from a variety of materials including fiberglass, muslin, papier mache, rubber and synthetic materials to name a few. Combinations of the mannequins are customizable to whatever the customer may want, creating a competitive advantage amongst their competition. They supply to retailers including Macy's, Barney's and Tory Burch amongst many others. Thier mannequins are manufactured mainly out of the Phillippines, France and now Amsterdam, since this is where their newest line is being manufactured out of. They currently added pets to their collection of options, and customers also have the option to add wigs in a variety of styles and colors if they wish. Customers also have the option to use interchangeable heads in a variety of different colors to create more of an abstract, stylish design if that is something they are going for. Chelsea shared with us that the most common mannequins at this time are ones that are transparent and of a melted, fiberglass material. Customers ultimately have the option to choose mannequins from an assortment of colors, materials and sizes, all of which are customizable.

     

Overall, the visit to Siegel Stockman was a very interesting and educational one, providing a lot of insight into an aspect of the retail industry that is often forgotten or not talked about. However, it is at the heart of visual merchandising, as shoppers wouldn't be able to gain ideas of what a garment or accessory might look like on, or how to pair it with other things. Thanks to companies like Siegel Stockman, one can be inspired by something as simple as a synthetic, crafted piece of art, used as a canvas in retail stores to entice the consumer and showcase the fashions of the changing seasons.