Fashion Scholarship Fund Case Study - Supreme X Polaroid
2026 independent merchandising case study with collaboration strategy, assortment, pricing, distribution, and launch plan.
Role: Merchandising strategy, consumer research, SKU build, pricing, distribution, activation, deck design.
Fashion Scholarship Fund Case Study - Supreme X Polaroid
2026 independent merchandising case study with collaboration strategy, assortment, pricing, distribution, and launch plan.
Role: Merchandising strategy, consumer research, SKU build, pricing, distribution, activation, deck design.
2026 independent merchandising case study with collaboration strategy, assortment, pricing, distribution, and launch plan.
Role: Merchandising strategy, consumer research, SKU build, pricing, distribution, activation, deck design.
BACKGROUND
The Fashion Scholarship Fund is a national nonprofit that supports future leaders in the business of fashion through case study scholarships, mentorship, and industry access. Each year, students submit research based projects that are judged by industry professionals.
THE ASK
The 2026 FSF brief asked students to create a collaboration between a fashion brand and a non fashion company, then build a research backed plan across assortment, distribution, and growth.
Deliverables included a 17 to 21 page slide deck that covered brand context, target consumer, a 5 to 10 style assortment, a six month merchandising plan with KPIs, planning and allocation, visual merchandising, and future growth. Judges evaluated creativity, research depth, clarity, and format.
Deliverables included a 17 to 21 page slide deck that covered brand context, target consumer, a 5 to 10 style assortment, a six month merchandising plan with KPIs, planning and allocation, visual merchandising, and future growth. Judges evaluated creativity, research depth, clarity, and format.
PROCESS AND PLAN
Concept: Supreme X Polaroid is about turning instant photos into something you keep, not something you scroll past and forget. The hero is a Supreme branded Polaroid Flip camera with a strap, supported by film refills and a tight apparel and accessories set that treats the image as an object.
Working tagline: When the moment develops, it is worth the wait.
Assortment and pricing: I built a small, laddered capsule anchored by the camera, with film refills available all season. The supporting lineup includes heat reactive photo tees, a contact sheet hoodie, a camera bag, a zine, and an archival photo album. The SKU grid balances one clear hero, a refill story that encourages repeat spend, and a few high impact novelty pieces.
Distribution and cadence: The collaboration lives direct to consumer through Supreme stores and supreme.com. I placed the launch in week 5 of the season, with film stocked across all doors and online all season. The camera has a one per customer limit to protect scarcity. Inventory splits between store and online to match traffic patterns.
In-store story: The Flip camera is the window hero. Behind it, a gallery wall of creator prints runs from the window into the store so the drop feels closer to an exhibition than a standard release. Receipts lean into film refills so the story continues after launch day.
Plan and growth: I built a six month plan that covers sales, gross margin, markdowns, receipts, and on hand inventory. From there, I outlined two future paths. One path uses city specific zines and small seasonal refreshes if the results are strong. The other winds the program down quietly to preserve scarcity if the camera sells through faster than expected. Success is measured through lift versus a typical Supreme drop, refill repeat, gross margin, turnover, creator engagement, and how much film carries forward.
OUTCOME
This case study shows how one hero product, backed by film refills and a tight capsule, can turn a single drop into something customers return to over time.Check out the full presentation here