From the monthly archives:

January 2008

Darling Profile: Deb & Wendy from DIYthing

by trish on January 22, 2008

This week we talked to Deb and Wendy of DIYthing. They have got there hand on the pulse of the DIY fashion movement! They have a very successful blog, are regulars over at Stylehive contributing to the Hive Blog and now they are launching the quarterly DIYthing e-zine, DIY City. There will be lots of resources, inspirations from indie designers and styling tips and faves from the editors. The picture is a sneak peek at one of the pages that will go with an interview they did with Smashing Darling. We are so excited for their launch we will keep you posted. Look for it around Cupid’s favorite day!

SD: When Did you and your sister start your blog?
Deb: We actually started DIYthing April 1st last year. We started DIYthing as a way to share about the great indie designers we were meeting. Since Wendy lives in Louisiana and I live in NYC, she didn’t get to meet all of the folks that I did this past year. Blogging was a good way to share back and forth stories about the indie scene in different locations. That’s when we thought about starting DIY City mag. It will launch in February, but we’ve been working on the concept for the past six months.

SD: How did you decide what the blog would be about?
Deb: The more we blogged at DIYthing, the more we realized how local arts and crafts are to a community. The Web is incredible for creatives to sell their work, but some sites really don’t give much of a sense of the local flavor and the backstory. We thought it would be neat to start a site that highlighted indies from cities around the world while at the same time sharing resources for source materials and services.

SD: What drew the two of you to the DIY scene?
Wendy: For me it was the thought of independence and crafts. We grew up in a household where my mom was heavy into crafts and she even taught art classes, so I guess you can say we have always been in the DIY scene.

Deb: Yes, and I think I was drawn back to it recently as I find it a great balance from my stressful day job. During high school I wanted to study textile design, but for various reasons I didn’t pursue that dream. Now, I am heavy into eco-friendly design.

SD: I know you work from different states, do you find the distance a challenge?
Wendy: No not really – gmail chat seems to work great. However, I wish that we could of course go take photos and on interviews together. Deb and I were together over the holidays and we did a photo shoot for DIY City mag and we had a great time – we stayed up half the night being crafty – that was a lot of fun.

SD: What does your average day entail?

Wendy: An average day – lol…wake up and jump on the computer to check e-mails and if i have time i will either hive (Stylehive) a few things or check out the front page of Etsy and then start down my blog roll to see what might be happening in the world of DIY. Then it’s off to the real world of work and getting my two boys off to school. The evenings consist of ball games and homework – once all is settled, it’s non stop till around midnightish. I do most of the layouts for the mag while Deb is busy interviewing and taking photos and such. Oh and a lot of our time is spent searching for designers and e-mailing or calling them to find out their story.

SD: Describe your personal style?
Wendy: That made me think – my personal style would be eco-remix/vintage. I shop at thrift stores for most of my clothes and love it when i come across a great vintage piece that i can mix with my low waisted jeans and a stylish pair of boots. i just reconstructed a pair of jeans for DIY City mag…i didn’t like the bottoms so i altered them.

Deb: My style is real similar, but I love texture. When I shop I look for clothes I look and fabric that says “touch me”. And I love reconstructing my own clothes from vintage finds. I see it as a real design challenge.

SD: Who are your fashion icons (past or present)? Do you think they influenced your personal style?
Deb: Icon is a strong word – there are some. Wendy and I both love Katharine Hepburn’s classic look and Cate Blanchett. They have certainly influenced us at times. We also love to follow indie designers who are creating new styles of their own – such as Lori Marsha, Desira Pesta, and Avalove – she just opened a shop in Noho. Oh and Danish designer Sarah Heartbo ( www.heartbo.com) – I love her designs.

SD: Do you have any current fashion obsession?

Deb: Cuffs, I love Bayousalvage’s Mojo cuffs made from salvaged fabric. Kerry, the designer, even uses found objects such as vintage skeleton keys to add to the deeply textured look. I had a chance to meet her on one of my recent trips to Louisiana. ( bayousalvage.etsy.com). Fusing Colors’ fused glass bracelets are also gorgeous (fusingcolors.com)- I own several.

SD: What advice would you give someone just starting in your field?

Deb & Wendy: Do-it-yourself – DIY – seriously – most of what we have learned or accomplished has been through jumping in and giving it a try. Sure we’ve made mistakes, but as they say that’s the best way to learn.

SD: Do you have any big plans for the future of DIYthing?

Deb & Wendy: We will continue to blog as DIYthing, but our big plans are for DIY City. We are launching our DIY City mag in early February. DIY City is an online quarterly mag that will highlight indie designers and creatives from cities around the world. It will also provide info on resources for buying products and services for artists and crafters. We see DIY as an evolving concept – whether it is someone making things for themselves or someone starting their own business from scratch – DIY is an attitude that says “I can do this, let me figure out how.” Our first issue of DIY City mag will focus on NYC, then we are heading to the Big Easy – New Orleans. There are so many artists there who are continuing to rebuild their lives.

SD: Do you have a question or a comment for anyone one Smashing Darling?

Deb & Wendy: Karelle at KRELwear – we love your independent, no rules ethic, “Living garments, embracing flaws – let it run.” We think that the best designers live that way. And to all of Smashing’s Darlings – keep up the great work – indie designers are the best.

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Photo Tips

by trish on January 21, 2008

If your photos don’t look good, YOU don’t look good!

As always, the main goal when taking photographs is to make your products look smashing, and there are a few key areas to consider that will help you get the most out of your digital camera.

First is resolution, which in the context of digital photos is simply a measure of the output quality of an image (usually measured in pixels per inch – PPI.)

When creating a photo of your products, it is often a good idea to set your camera at its highest quality setting (ie: the one that produces the largest file size.) This file will give you highest resolution your camera is capable of producing as well as the most flexibility in how you can use the image. The file can then be opened in any digital imaging software (such as Photoshop or your camera’s own editing software) and then adjusted as necessary.

The key here is that it’s very easy to resize an image downward from a large, high-quality file. Images with large file size and higher resolution (usually 300ppi or greater) are best suited for print, while images with lower resolution (usually 72ppi) are suitable for web use. On the flip side, trying to create a larger image from a low quality file (which is usually referred to as “interpolating ” or “res-ing up”) almost always results in files that appear fuzzy, jagged, or “pixelated” looking. Definitely not what you want for capturing the beauty and detail of your products!

For the purposes of SmashingDarling images, here’s a step-by-step of the best way to prepare quality images:

1. Set your camera to it’s highest quality setting

2. Create your photos

3. Open your photos in a digital imaging program and crop as desired.

4. Adjust the output size to a minimum of 700 x 700 pixels, and the resolution to 72 ppi.

5. Make sure the file size is under 250k, and save as a JPEG, GIF, or PNG.

6. Upload your photos!

There’s lots more to consider when producing your own photographs, but this is a good starting point that will result in an image of the proper resolution and size. And without understanding this basic principle of digital photography, there’s nothing else that you can do to make an image look good. A low-resolution image artificially scaled up will look bad every time, no matter how great the lighting, how beautiful the subject, or how expensive the camera!

As always, please post comments with any questions you may have – our goal is to help in any way we can!

Next session: lighting and exposure

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Chicago Fashion Resource Has Launched

by trish on January 18, 2008

This is for all of the independent fashion professionals in the Chicago area. How lucky are you! What a great resource. The Launch looks like a great time as well. Make sure you RSVP, the space is limited. I wanted to pass this on for our good friend and fellow Smashing designer, Lara miller. She tipped us off about this fab event. Check it out.

Celebrate the launch of CHICAGOFASHIONRESOURCE.COM!

The newest resource for all fashion-savvy,industry professionals!

RSVP at fashioninvite@gmail.com

LARA MILLER LTD.931 W. Cornelia Ave.Chicago, IL 60657

ChicagoFashionResource.Com has officially launched and is the home for all things fashion-related in Chicago, including Fashion Focus 2008, October 4-11. We’ll kepp you posted about this and other independent fashion events. Sometimes it is good to get out of Dodge, so you never know when you might want to take a road trip andsee fashion from a different angle.

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Krelwear, A Must Have For Spring

by trish on January 17, 2008

As far as independent fashion designers go Krarelle Levy, of Krelwear is a great role model and an inspiration. She keeps her store on Smashing Darling, where she sells exclusively online, very current and always stocked with amazing photographs of her beautiful line. Born in Paris, and raised in Miami, Karelle Levy is as much an artist as she is a designer. As a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she acquired a BFA in Textile Design. Karelle moved back to Miami and worked as a costume designer for dance and theater productions, and even performed herself. Still drawn to creating fabrics, Karelle began knitting again, and created costumes for her own experimental movement performances. These daring and creatively progressive performances cultivated into the first fashion forward pieces of a ready-to-wear line. Karelle’s fusion of art and fashion has led to the most original and refreshing fashion performance shows that KRELwear is known for.

The one of kind line embraces flaws with no rules at all; enhancing originality through organic methods, let it run, knit. These garments are elegant and funky. Inspiration is found in the process using mixtures of the finest yarns available. “Toobular” design, lets us create pieces with no or very few seams. When the fabric is completed so is the garment. Most pieces can be worn several ways making them interchangeable and convertible. The made to order line follows the same “toobular” philosophy, but are more conservative in comparison. The fabrics are much simpler in their fabric structure. Some of these pieces are also convertible.

KRELwear was recognized as a GenArt “Fresh Faces of Fashion” Among its list of thrilled garment owners are: Alanis Morrisset, Christina Ricci, Carmen Electra, Pink, Cameron Diaz, and Natasha Lyonne. She has been featured in numerous magazines as well you can check them out here. See her lookbook here.

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The Good News # 11

by Mo on January 16, 2008

Adam holds Trish Darling’s wine so she can decorate him with smashing stickers

What’s Going On

Happy 2008 Darling subscribers! We hope you are settling into the new year with style; we get the feeling it is going to be a very good year! One more big thank you to you all who voted us into second place for Best Social Shopping Site back in December – in Mashable.com’s Open Web Awards. We made some new friends and had a ton of fun at the Open Web Awards (click to find us!) out in San Francisco just a few days ago. Check it out, Trish is getting a few SMASHING stickers on Adam Hirsh, Community and Marketing Director of Mashable.com – well done Trish Darling!

What’s New

In San Fran, Trish and Julie had a visit to the hive, the Stylehive that is,as well as some time with Team Sugar. I was lucky enough to meet up with Tricia Royal, aka Bits and Bobbins. Great to meet you all and many thanks to Tricia for making sure I got to the San Fran institution Britex Fabrics. Four floors of texture galore; that alone would have made the trip worthwhile. Mo-Darling definitely left her heart in San Francisco.

The Darling’s rang the new year in, (after we recovered from the Mashable voting), with a lovely little article in New Haven’s PLAY magazine, take a look.

Coming Soon

Our birthday is coming soon, is someone out there going to bake us a cake?

Well, in the meantime and no matter where we are, Smashing Darling keeps on growing. Take a look around this page and the site for a few new Darling stores as well as some new looks for 2008 from designers who have already been SMASHing with us.

SMASHing Kudos and tidbits

One more kudos to you all for voting for us, THANKS!…go check out Naik Fur’s new blog and store in Sacramento, Atelier…keep your eyes peeled for another darling interview at wickedlychic.com…35 days until we turn 1…over 300 indie designers on the Darling’s pages…go buy a Mermaid SMASH UP if you missed out….

Forward on the good news to a friend.

and

Let Your INDIE Out!

cheers ~ the Darling’s

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Darling Profile: Erin Cain, Stylist

by trish on January 15, 2008

This weeks interview is with a good friend of mine, Erin Cain. For as long as I have known her she has been a stylist. Our careers overlapped for a time when I was designing wedding dresses. I was always so happy when the bride would tell me Erin was doing their make-up. She then moved onto full time work with Fox and also Court TV. Now that she is freelance, she has the freedom to pursue some other avenues and has been a regular guest on the radio for fashion type talk show.

SD: How did you get your start as a Stylist?
EC: Having been on camera for a short time, I loved what was going on behind the scenes, the production, the circus….the lights, the artistry. I had been to school for makeup and hair, so I begged some really great stylist to let me come to work with them and watch them, then became their assistant…watching and absorbing is the best way to learn…especially all the mechanics of a film shoot or a photo shoot, what works in each different medium, etc., etc.

SD: Who is your favorite client?
EC: I like different clients for different reasons, I love the diversity of my job. I loved working with high end fashion people like Cynthia Rowley, celebrity jobs are fun for obvious reasons. I do corporate shoots, sporting events, award shows…you name it, the best part for me is meeting all the different people, having a great exchange of energy…most of the time!!!!

SD: Which do you prefer NY or LA? And why?
EC: My hometown is NY, so there my heart lies. I loved living in LA and working there was invaluable. It’s the crème de la crème of the business, its Hollywood, I had a blast there and worked with a wealth of talent!

SD: What is the one item in your wardrobe you can’t live without?
EC: One item is tough to be limited to…I have to pick two, boots and hats..all kinds all seasons…definitely couldn’t get dressed most of the time without both!!!!

SD: How would you describe your personal style? And who or what influences that style?
EC: Tough one….if I had a gun to my head and had to pick a word to describe my style, maybe bohemian(overused).i must say I love skirts and dresses, they make up a large part of my wardrobe regardless of season. I do also love jeans and definitely integrate several pairs a week. But really its such a mish mosh of styles that I love..i definitely know what I like, I can walk into a store and scan it in an instant, I have a sort of radar,then its just a question of price and need(who’s kidding who with the need). Everything influences me, I am a very aesthetic person, I love looking in magazines, watching people on the street.taking all my surroundings in.SD What is your fashion obsession of the moment?

SD What is your fashion obsession of the moment?
EC: fashion obsessions? Fashion…itself, getting dressed everyday is fun for me, what we wear and how we present ourselves to the world is such a reflection of who we are and how we feel inside…that’s a very cool opportunity!!!

SD: Who Inspires you?
EC: people inspire me, people with genuine purpose, no matter what it may be. People who know why they are here and what they are doing, another reflection of really knowing who you are and how you might leave your mark…very powerful stuff!!

SD: In your opinion, what is the best and worst fashion trend?
EC: a bad fashion trend to me is a trend that only works on one percent of the population and everyone is trying to pull it off. Tragic! Ie; bubble skirt…but the list is endless…good rule of thumb..if your not sure, don’t. the best fashion trend of the moment is that there are so many different trends you can really pick what works for you and what you like and still feel up to date.

SD: What does your average day entail?
EC: a day of work…could be, arriving at a tv studio, setting up my work station, checking any kind of schedule that might be posted, ie; shows, talent, guests. Meeting new people, transforming them, often having great conversations and making connections in all kinds of ways…I love my job!!

SD: If you knew then (before you entered the industry) what you know now, what would you do differently?
EC: honestly, I don’t think anything. Being a freelance artist has been such a blessing. There is always the instability of working for yourself and being in a sometimes dramatic business, maybe there were days when I wished I were a school teacher, but not really. This suits me, really, I feel very blessed.

SD: If there was one designer on Smashing Darling that you could ask a question to who would it be and what would you ask them?
EC: Laura Williams of Whosiepie, incredible company..beautiful company, whimsical, gorgeous designs…how do you keep the child like beauty of your ideas flowing????

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We Are Back!

by trish on January 14, 2008

We are back home from a fabulous trip to San Fransisco and the Mashable open web awards. Julie, Mo, and I had a great time. We met a lot of people, saw some sites, even got in a golf lesson at the Presidio. If you ever get a chance to do this, I highly recommend taking a lesson. Dan was our teacher for the hour long lesson that quickly turned into 2. He made it very easy. He encouraged us to make some mistakes and just have fun.

If you are curious about the awards themselves, you can read the recap here. Pictures from the event are staring to surface on flickr. You can Check some of them out on Brian Solis’ flickr page. All three of The Darlings are in one shot, send a comment to me with the # of the photo from the flickr account and win the latest Student Smash Up tee shirt. First one to get their answer to me wins!

If you would like to see part of the event, ustream.tv was there broadcasting the event live. Go check it out.

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The Darlings Loose in San Fransisco

by trish on January 10, 2008

Hi everyone! Julie, Mo, and I are here in the beautiful city of San Francisco to see the sites, attend the Mashable Open Web Awards, and meet some of our West Coast friends. Julie and I will be lunching with King Bee, Michael Carrier from Stylehive. While Mo darling is having tea with Tricia of Bits and Bobbins. Later in the day we are meeting the Sugars from TeamSugar, and Sasha from Style Mob. So much to do so little time to do it in!

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Darling Designer Profile: Alison Woodward Designer/Owner Reverie Jewelry

by trish on January 8, 2008

I have had the great pleasure of not only meeting Alison Woodward, designer for Reverie, but have sold some of her pieces in my store. Reading this interview is like standing in her studio chatting away with her. She is just like her jewelry, beautiful with a vintage twist of style. I think she and her jewelry are amazing and can’t understand why she hasn’t captured the cover of vogue yet. Read on to learn more about how she breaths new life into vintage pieces. Visit her store on Smashing Darling to do a little shopping. If she does land on the cover of Vogue, you will be happy to say you new her when…

SD: When did you realize you wanted to design jewelry?
AW: It was really by accident. In 2003 I was taking a break from school and picked up jewelry as a hobby. I was always at the flea markets on the weekends. And one day I just realized it would be fun to make jewelry out of all the old broken parts I was finding. I started to really take it seriously when a friend offered to sell my designs in her store, and her customers started to buy them!

SD: When did you develop your love of vintage?
AW: My love of vintage started a long, long time ago! I used to play dress-up with 50’s prom dresses and opera length gloves! My sister and I grew up watching almost nothing but old movies. And especially Fred Astaire musicals. And so I guess that was the beginning. I’ve always supplemented my wardrobe with vintage pieces. I think I’ve just always had a love for old and historic things…furniture, music, architecture, movies and of course fashion!

SD: When you started your line of one of a kind jewelry did it always include vintage findings?
AW: Well, yes. My collection of parts and pieces definitely includes great findings too, and I challenge myself to work with and around what I have. I do finish each piece with a new clasp, which I feel gives it a nice, polished touch.

SD: Where do you turn for inspiration for your designs?
AW: I never know what is going to inspire my next design. Sometimes I’m inspired just by walking around the city and occasionally by flipping through a magazine. But more times than not, the real inspiration comes from the materials I’m using. If I’m in the right frame of mind, totally focused on what I’m doing, the design honestly just comes to me. Then I spend the next several hours making it work.

SD: What does your average day entail?
AW: As is probably true for most designers, my days vary greatly! Some days are just packed with running errands and keeping appointments. And in New York City that really can take up the whole day! On my favorite days, I get to do a little of everything. Wake up early, make a coffee, send out some emails to maintain relationships with customers, stylists and editors, then sit at my worktable and see what happens! On a good day I’ll design anywhere from one to three pieces. If I do three, I’m exhausted and that’ll probably be it for the day. If I do only one, then that means I’m stumped on the next one or just have too much other stuff to do! Other stuff is usually the errands (buying supplies etc), the appointments (meetings with buyers etc), or taking photos (to document any new pieces). Then in the evenings, I usually relax or finish any unfinished designs or print out more business cards or file more tags or stamp more boxes or…well you get the idea! The list could go on and on.

SD: Describe your personal style?
AW: I suppose I would describe my style as sensible with a hint of elegance. I love fancy dresses but I also love jeans. I love high heels but I also love flip-flops! So when it comes time to get ready to go somewhere, I like to mix and match. And of course I put a lot of emphasis on the accessories.

SD: Who are your fashion icons (past or present)? Do you think they influenced your personal style?
AW: Well, just like a million other people, I really admire the classics like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. But I’d have to say that when it comes to designing, I’m inspired by Katherine Hepburn. What’s so inspiring about her is that she believed enough in herself to dress the way she wanted and care less about what everyone else said or thought.

SD: Do you have any current fashion obsessions?
AW: Does being obsessed with finding a new pair of boots count? I feel like the boots I want just don’t exist!

SD: What advice would you give someone just starting in your field?
AW: Wow, I don’t know where to start! First of all, you’ve got to commit to your idea or concept. Once you realize you’ve got something good, go with it and stick to it. In the long run, a unique idea with consistency and quality craftsmanship is going to get you much farther than doing what’s already been done. It’s all part of building your brand. You want to be able to excite your customer with new ideas without confusing your original concept. And of course, persistence! There will be times when you wonder why in the world you are doing this. Ultimately, it should be because it makes you happy! And if it makes you happy, then keep on doing it! The rest will eventually fall into place.

SD: Do you have any events you are getting ready for in the near future?
AW: Well, I just got finished with my annual Jewelry/Holiday Cocktail party. Every year for the past 3 years I’ve had a holiday cocktail party at my studio. It’s always a great time! Jewelry goes on sale and everyone’s happy! I’m thinking of starting a Spring Fling version this year, so that may be the next event. I’ll keep you posted!

SD: Is there anyone in the Smashing Darling community you have a question or comment for?
AW: I love Naik Fur’s new crochet hats! I’d love to compliment her on capturing such a great style!

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← Previous Entries

Next Entries →

January 2008

Darling Profile: Deb & Wendy from DIYthing

Photo Tips

Chicago Fashion Resource Has Launched

Krelwear, A Must Have For Spring

Darling Profile: Erin Cain, Stylist

We Are Back!

The Darlings Loose in San Fransisco

Darling Designer Profile: Alison Woodward Designer/Owner Reverie Jewelry

Emerging Fashion News and Events

Product Love

Fashion Week

Independent Fashion Communities

Designer Blogs

Indepenedent Fashion Boutiques

Independent Fashion PR

Ethical Fashion

Fabric/Textiles

Fashion Resources

Fashion Schools

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