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From Home Furnishing Business
Twin Star’s College Edition Style Takeover Goes Remote
April 15,
2020 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
A lot has changed since Twin Star Home started planning a Style Takeover for its April 2020 High Point Market showroom by students at nearby High Point University. But, one thing hasn’t changed: Twin Star’s commitment to mentoring the next generation of design leaders.
“We love mentoring students and supporting the High Point community,” said Lisa Cody, Twin Star Home’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Despite the unprecedented challenges and uncertainty we are all facing, we really wanted to follow through on our commitment to HPU and are proud we have been able to adapt our approach to offer the students a great professional experience and a creative outlet.”
The planned showroom design project, called Style Takeover: College Edition was a twist on the innovative Style Takeover concept introduced in 2018, which challenges leading interior designers to create showroom settings using Twin Star Home’s award-winning products. Twin Star Home is a market leader in electric fireplaces, adjustable-height desks, and a trailblazer in functional, design-forward indoor and outdoor furnishings.
Instead of the hands-on project originally planned, the Visual Merchandising students, who are now finishing their semester remotely, have the benefit of five weekly video conferences with Cody and her team. The project will include assignments such as intro videos, mood boards, and Q&A’s with Atlanta designer Michel Smith Boyd, who has worked with Twin Star Home both as showroom designer and as a featured Style Takeover designer.
“Twin Star Home is all about smart solutions, nimble thinking, and doing things differently,” said Boyd. “Virtual work is already part of who they are, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team working with students to make the ‘Style Takeover: College Edition' happen.”
High Point University’s Visual Merchandising graduates work in everything from event planning to brand management to retail display design. “Twin Star Home has been incredibly generous in their willingness to reach out to High Point University students,” said Victoria Brown, High Point University Assistant Professor of Visual Merchandising Design. “They have offered to share information about their company with HPU students, provide mentorship for them, and provide them with opportunities to showcase their talents. Twin Star Home is giving HPU students a glimpse into what working for a creative company in today's age is all about.”