January 2011

Fashion 140 Conference… is in the subject line of a recent message sent to me by someone I believe I met through Twitter. I’m not sure where we met anymore because we are friends on Facebook and she has come into my shop in Chester CT. “You should speak at this” …part of the message inside read. I was being sent the link to the call Jeff Pulver put out asking for speakers at the Fashion 140 Conference taking place this spring in NYC. I am so flattered she thought of me. I thought about the idea of applying for a couple of days. Then I thought, why would I put in an application to speak? What could I possibly have to say that no one has said before? Nothing. Everyday I am still trying to figure out how it all works. I will say, I am happy the thought was put in front of me. It made me appreciate how social media has helped me and Smashing Darling. Without social media Smashing Darling wouldn’t exist. Well, it might exist, but there wouldn’t be anyone there. Social media magnifies the shout outs of two friends, Mo, & me Trish, about Smashing Darling and our community of indie fashion designers. To help create a visual for you, think about that little speck of dust Horten heard talking to him in, Horten Hears a Who. That little speck of dust turned out to be a tiny planet. Sometimes I feel like I helped create a tiny planet of like-minded people, with the common love of indie fashion. Without the magnification of social media we would never have been heard in this very loud, noisy, fast-paced world. We have made a lot of friends along the social media way and have gone on to meet many of them them in person.

I will admit social media gets confusing for me sometimes. I have many accounts on various platforms because I own or part-own  3 businesses. All are in the field of independent fashion. There is the clothing line, MerGirl, the shop, FROCK (where I sell MerGirl in a brick and mortar), and the website, Smashing Darling (where I sell MerGirl online along with 746 other designers). Sometimes it gets confusing what I should be saying and where. It does still amaze me that I have so may tools at my fingertips to help me get the word out to as many people that are willing to listen, click a link or read a story. Bottom line is, my businesses have all improved because of social media.

Mo and I spend so much time seeking out designers and like-minded people, I realized that every once in a while it would behoove us to also tell people where we are out there in the wonderful world of the internet. Below are a few places to find us. Choose your favorite/s and follow us. We love connecting with like minded people especially those with a love of indie fashion.

One of the newest social media sites I recently joined and is fast becoming a favorite of mine is Pinterest. It is all about building inspiration boards. Thank you Pinterest for creating a platform that works the way my creative mind works. Look for me, trishdarling, if you decide to join.

The beginnings of an inspiration board on Pinterest.

Twitter – always a good one to catch some good one-liners, ask a question and get tons of responses, share quick links and photos, have conversations with multiple people you may or may not know. Stories and conversations unfold quickly on Twitter. Look for modarling, trishdarling… and Smashing Darling.

Facebook – A bit more personal than Twitter in my book. Still great for sharing links, photos, thoughts and having conversations. Today alone I sold 2 dresses because I posted photos of them to my page and my businesses fan page. If you have a business, get a fan page if you don’t already have one. It makes it easier for people you don’t know discover and follow your business. Find us, Mo & I at our Smashing Darling fan page. My clothing line, MerGirl & the boutique FROCK. Each business needs it’s own fan page.

Blogger – Mo and I both have blogs on Blogger as well as writing for the Smashing Darling blog. It is another place to write down inspirations and share with whomever is out there reading. I love that I can land on a blog and be caught in a labyrinth of links that can take me into someone else’s world in a nanosecond. Mo is, miss mo darling, I am, MerGirl.

Tumblr – I do have another blog on Tumblr. I like how easy it is to re-blog and re-post information from other users. Sounds crazy but my MerGirl blog with Tumbler is different from my MerGirl blog with Blogger. I like them both for different reasons. Choices, so many choices. The Smashing Darling blog is with Wordpress. There are other blogging platforms but I think this sums up the ones I use. You can find me on Tumblr at MerGirl.

… and don’t forget about our Flickr group, Show Us You’re Smashing Darling.

This is where you will find us most of the time. Find us, leave us a comment, say hi and share with us what you are up to. Always be true and authentic to you and your aesthetic. The rest will happen organically.

Leave us a comment about your favorite social media tool and where people can find you on there. We would love thoughts on how you use social media too.

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