Re:So opens permanent shop at Solent’s East Park Terrace

Re:So, Solent University, Southampton’s retail initiative – showcasing student and graduate talents across a range of creative disciplines, has opened a permanent shop on its main campus.

The new shop is now open to the public Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, in the University’s state-of-the-art Spark building, on its East Park Terrace campus.

Run by students and stocked with handcrafted products including jewelry, soft furnishings and artwork made by the University’s artists, illustrators and makers, Re:So showcases the very best of the region’s up-and-coming creatives.

Delivering 3,000 hours a year of work-based learning as part of Solent’s practical approach, Re:So offers industry placements to future-proof graduate careers. Lily Wood, a Fashion Management undergraduate and Re:So’s Finance and Supplier Manager, says:

“My role with Re:So has given me the unique opportunity to gain valuable experience with high responsibility that I can use in my career when I graduate – something I wouldn’t have been able to do elsewhere. Working at Re:So has allowed me to develop the skills I am learning on my course in a supportive environment to best prepare for future job roles.

“Re:So helps students gain experience in a wide variety of roles, from finance to visual merchandising, and is just one of the many opportunities the University offers to prepare us for the future.”

Re:So also offers paid work experience across a range of roles that enhance students’ and graduates’ knowledge of running a successful business. Students are given the opportunity to learn about marketing, merchandising and events – skills they can put into practice when they embark on their own creative careers.

Alongside their permanent shop in The Spark on East Park Terrace, Re:So has an online Etsy store, featuring a range of unique pieces, and a fully sustainable on-demand print store at reso.teemill.com. It is also growing its visibility at pop-up events throughout the south of England, bringing its wares to wider audiences and spreading the Re:So name. 

Lesley Taylor, Re:So Lead and Senior Lecturer, says:

“This is an exciting time for Re:So, which has been giving our students a platform, alongside industry experience, for a decade now. Bringing the initiative onto our main campus, where Re:So will continue to be an integral part of the curriculum, will increase visibility among our student population and encourage more of the city’s community to visit us at The Spark.”

Shop Re:So online here. Find out more about Re:So at solent.ac.uk.