Elida Behar is a buyer with experience in multiple product categories, such as shoes, handbags, toys, dresses, childrenswear, and men’s furnishings. She has been teaching in the Fashion Business Management Department at FIT since 2009. She spent her life’s work in the retail industry. She worked first in luxury at Saks Fifth Avenue and then at the NYC off-price specialty retailer, Daffy’s.
Prof. Behar teaches the following FIT Precollege Classes:
HSX 123: A Week in the Life of a Merchant
Teaching Philosophy:
I believe in succession building; I have an obligation to impart my knowledge to those who will follow and lead in the industry and in the American society. I have always approached teaching as the business practitioner. I connect the dots for the student – they are hearing merchandising theories for the first time – it is difficult to comprehend. I give many examples from my experience and the multiple product categories which I bought.
Recent Industry Accomplishments:
International Teaching | Summer 2015-2017
Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
Prof. Behar has been selected to teach Global Merchandising to the upper divisions and has been re-appointed every year. This past summer, she was a keynote guest speaker at the International Forum of Fashion Brand Development at the university. Her speech addressed the Global Market and Merchandising Strategy.
Prof. Behar is a contributing researcher to Retailing in Emerging Markets, 2nd Edition by Bloomsbury Publishing, which was released in October 2017. The textbook is used in the Global Merchandising course: Elida Behar Contributes to Book on Retailing