Smashing Darling Blog » Darling Designer Spotlight

Featured Independent Designer Of The Week: Avni

trish — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:23:04 +0000

Avni currently designs her line in Cambridge, MA.

Born and raised in India, Avni’s designer, Avni Trivedi, spent her formative years immersed in the rich history, vibrant fashion, and beautiful art of Indian culture. From a young age, the crafts of local artisans fascinated Trivedi, who fell in love with the handmade fabrics she scouted out at artisan fairs in the villages of Gujarat. As she learned commerce from her grandfather, who headed a textile research unit, andingenuity from her mother, a successful entrepreneur in India’s fashion industry, the young Trivedi began designing clothes from local handmade fabrics as a hobby. … read more

Silk top with satin cravat

Bamboo dress with braided belt

Asymmetrical hand woven wool jacket

Shop Avni’s full collection online on Smashing Darling.

Fashion Focus Chicago: Anna Hovet

trish — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:34:04 +0000

Chicago independent fashion designer and this weeks Smashing Darling featured, Anna Hovet, is set to reveal her highly anticipated Spring/Summer 2012 collection during Fashion Focus Chicago in Millennium Park October 18.

Anna Hovet is a delightful fusion of designer style and streetwear comfort. We are so happy to discover she does all of her manufacturing in Chicago. Rock on! Made in the USA … and keeping it local.

Her Spring/Summer 2012 line to be unveiled is inspired by 1950’s female comic book characters. The designer uses bold colors and on-trend polka dots to represent the comic book dot printing process and 1950’s inspired silhouettes, emphasizing v-shaped shoulders and natural waistlines.

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Featured Independent Designer This Week: Gwen Beloti, Design The Dream

Mo — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:44:06 +0000

This week independent designer Gwen Beloti delivers fashion for social action into her boutique at Smashing Darling. The dress, below, was designed specifically for the Design the Dream philanthropic collaboration and is available for pre-order exclusively online here at Smashing Darling! The dress will also debut live in Gwen Beloti’s spring 2012 collection during New Jersey Fashion Week Oct 9th-13th.

Shop Gwen Beloti @ Smashing Darling

(Don’t miss her Sample Sale)

**All pre-order purchases of the dress will get an automatic 10% off the regular sale price, and will receive an additional 10% online with the following promo code: DTD12AD. In addition, regular orders will be available online and in select stores in spring 2012.

Amanda Seales is featured in an exclusive DTD piece created by Gwen Beloti, a free flowing cocktail dress with sequin trimming and checkered strap back detail. The DTD dress is now available for purchase at Smashing Darling and select boutiques in NYC. A portion of the proceeds will benefit two organizations near and dear to the creators’ hearts; Little Dresses for Africa and Adonai Partners. Both Gwen and Eboyné are passionate beyond measure about this collaboration and project. In keeping with the goal of DTD, these two women want to do their part in helping those in need. Their mission throughout the Design the Dream campaign is to bring awareness to their prospective charities. (Learn more here…)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Featured Independent Designer This Week: Anavaa Kisasa

Mo — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:00:03 +0000

Swahili for “she dresses in fashion” Anavaa Kisasa is a fashion accessory line that specializes in high-quality handbags.

Shop Anavaa Kisasa at Smashing Darling

The Bowler

Starting out as an image consultant, Zulema channeled her creativity and eye for detail into dressing artists for music videos. She soon honed in on designing handbags after growing increasingly tired of purchasing bags made from inferior materials at exorbitant prices. A New York girl at heart, Zulema is savvy, stylish and resourceful. A self professed accessories junkie, she designed AK with her own needs in mind. As such, AK bags are made from high quality Italian leathers and produced in small quantities – a feature that enables each bag to be given special care and attention. (Read more…)

The Princess

The AK Style

The Shopper

NKHenry Handbags & Accesories: Featured Independent Designer This Week

Mo — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:49:54 +0000

We like to make affordable yet luxurious and fun fashion accessories for women. Our philosophy is less is more…We like to keep hardware and logos to a minimum -discreetly placing signatures and such on our products is a must. In this way you get a high quality designer product with a chic minimalist feel.

Cella Tote

Cella Pear Green Suede Clutch

Kelley Bag, Red

Kelley Soft Knot Leather Belt

Andrea Valentini: Featured Independent Designer This Week

Mo — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:00:22 +0000

This week’s featured designer is also featured this weekend at Style Week Providence! Shop her designs here at Smashing Darling, and if you can be in the Providence area this Saturday, go see if there are tickets available to see her new collection on the runway.

Andrea Valentini received both Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Interior Architecture degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Intending to combine and expand her knowledge and experience as an artist and a designer, she developed a body of work that has garnered national and international acclaim. She is among a very select group of designers’ chosen by the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum 2003 Triennial, “Inside Design Now” which represents the quality, range and vitality of current U.S. design practice today…(Read more)

Chelsea

Egg Cosmetic Bag

Silva Clutch Purse

Mi Mo Handbags: Featured Independent Designer This Week

Mo — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:14:24 +0000

SALE: Parker

Mi Mo Handbags values diversity, adventure, fun and practicality. Mi Mo bags combine elements of rugged design, global influence, and a North West casual life style to create unique handbags. Borrowing from history to create pieces for the present that will continue to shine in the future.

Mi Mo donates 5% of all profit to programs working to stop domestic violence; we support Girl’s Inc. N.W. and help to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.

Kathleen

SALE: Lara

Haley

Cynthia Jones Jewelry: Featured Designer This Week

Mo — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:47:40 +0000

Summer Splash Earrings

Cynthia Jones Jewelry strives to achieve an understated sophistication with pieces such as her most basic teardrop earring. Weight plays a major part in the design process. Keeping her pieces as light as possible, Cynthia ensures that in addition to being visually simple, they take on an effortlessly light form. The occasional use of colored stones (jaspers, jade, labdorite, moss agate, carnelian) helps women to accent their wardrobe with deep purples, pale greens and rich ambers. Ignoring trends, Cynthia creates contemporary, handcrafted jewelry that is timelessly modern, and appropriate for any occasion.

Saturn Ring (Polished) (also: Oxidized)

Modern Bangle

My Rock

Darling Designer Spotlight: Rhonda Puccini, Misile

Mo — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:43 +0000

Please take some time to read this interview, and get to know independent designer Rhonda Puccini and her line Misile just a bit better. We hope this peek into her world, and into the daily life an independent designer makes you pause, be inspired, and always want to know the designer who made the clothes you are wearing. We want you to buy a garment she envisioned – then created – and rock it like the song that was playing while she sewed the garment together. We have a feeling that would make her one happy darling…

Misile is an independent label designed and manufactured in New York, U.S. We do not mass produce any of our garments. The concept behind the label was to mix high end quality with street wear style.

Rhonda Puccini, Misile

Darlings: How did you get into fashion, and when did you start your own line: Misile?
Rhonda: I studied art and design in college and first started working in luxury men’s wear at Hickey Freeman in upstate New York. I spent almost 5 years as their assistant designer. They manufactured all of their suits in house as well as Burberry and Lagerfeld. Although menswear doesn’t excite me one bit, it was a great opportunity to learn high end garment construction and hand finishing techniques. My appreciation for quality American made garments grew and ultimately the concept for Misile was born. I registered the company in NY back in 2003 but didn’t really do anything. It wasn’t until around 2006 that I started to get regular orders coming in. At that point I’d say Misile was a business.

Genesis

Darlings: Who or what inspires you and your work?
Rhonda: I have a legit obsession with music. I spend way too much money on iTunes. But music is a huge inspiration to me. I also have a record player and tons of albums in the studio. Sometimes you can actually determine exactly what I’m listening to by a theme that season. Last season I was obsessed with making disco dresses because I was in love with Miami horror’s new album which is very 70’s disco. I’m not a big fan of getting tons of fashion mags. I think if you are constantly scouring through fashion mags you run the risk of using other people’s inspiration and ideas as your own. My best ideas come to me late at night usually while I’m staring at fabric with a great album on.

Darlings: Who is your customer? How do you market yourself?
Rhonda: My customer is confident. She wants to stand out in a crowd, but still be comfortable. The label is high end, everyday wearable, city chic.

Kestler Sweaterknit Shorts Romper

Darlings: What does your average day entail, and what is your favorite part?
Rhonda: My days are pretty crazy. I cut, sew, press, inspect garments, make and grade patterns, and hand finish our higher end pieces. I make trips to the post office every day. I return phone calls and e-mails for at least an hour every day. I research new boutiques, send out look books, line sheets and press kits. There’s really no end to all the tasks I need to do. I love what I do though. If I didn’t there would be no way I could willingly work the hours I do. But in all honesty, if it were up to me, I would just make new samples all day. I love draping and pattern making. But there’s a ton more that goes into a fashion business than just making new pieces.

Phil’s Dinner Party

Darlings: If your studio walls could talk, what would they say?
Rhonda: Turn down that music!!!!!!

Darlings: Do you have any current fashion obsessions?
Rhonda: I have a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs high-waisted jeans that I practically live in, along with anything mustard yellow. As far as accessories I think Coco & Breezy has the best sunglasses right now. Very reminiscent of the early 90s. … And shopping for old disco dresses.

Khalil Capri Pant

Darlings: To this point what is the most important lesson you have learned that helps you maintain your business and collection?
Rhonda: As far as maintaining my business I have had to learn to put my business first. It feels at times that I am either sleeping or working. This is primarily due to the fact that I AM always sleeping or working. When you run a small design company you have to learn that luck only helps the ‘lucky’ people. The rest of us need to make things happen ourselves. If that means working from 8am to 2:30 am to get orders out, you just learn to do it. As far as the collections themselves, I am always learning and challenging myself as a designer. I go from loving my collection to hating it after about 3 weeks. I think this is in my nature as a designer to be bored quickly. But I also believe this is why my line is ever evolving. Every season I find myself doing something new and making a better collection than the season prior. For S/S 2012 we phased out most of the casual jersey cotton and incorporated more luxe fabrics like various silks. The line resembles nothing of our past lines and I hope this growth will continue for each season. I think this will keep Misile fresh and our customers coming back.

Rose

Darlings: Does your community feel like a supportive locale for emerging designers?
Rhonda: New York City is by far one of the best cities for supporting emerging designers. I am originally from Upstate New York, and unfortunately they are not. My line isn’t carried in a single store Upstate. Yet I get orders from places as far as the U.K. and Sydney. I have also lived right outside of Austin and Miami and both cities were very supportive of fresh talent. But to any talented artists that aren’t getting local support, I’d recommend using the best resource a small start up company has…..the internet!

Valaria Cropped Top

Darlings: Do you have any events/projects that you are getting ready for in the near future?
Rhonda: This year has been off to a good start for us. We are experiencing a ton of changes in 2011. We signed a lease and are in the process of moving our production to Brooklyn. This will save me a great deal of travel time (and my sanity) every month. Misile was also just signed onto a 2 year contract with Spring UP, a multi-line showroom in Milan. We will be their first American label. They will start our selling campaign in London on August 4th and in Milan on September 9th. I’m hoping this will be the start of a much needed growth for the company.

Misile Haute Couture Collection

We also just began offering a Haute Couture Collection along with our regular Ready To Wear collection. Our Haute Couture Collection is entirely ‘made to measure’. Clients contact me directly and we can fill those styles based on their specific measurements at no extra cost. A/W 2011 was the first season of this addition. It’s actually where Misile came from back during my start up. I used to do mostly ‘real’ Couture. I know that term gets abused these days. I supported a designer in New York with all of the technical aspects, fitting her clients, making the patterns and constructing the garments. I found that around 2006 I was so busy with RTW that Couture was phased out. This Haute Couture project will allow me to have a collection that meets somewhere in the middle and give clients a more personal shopping experience. Prices in this collection range from $385.00 for silk palazzo pants to 2400.00 for our floor length silk and feather gown.

Misile Haute Couture Collection

Gwen Beloti Collection: Sample Sale + Design The Dream, Coming Soon

Mo — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:00:25 +0000

Independent fashion designer Gwen Beloti is working away on a fab collaborative project, Design The Dream, combining high fashion, philanthropy, and social action. Gwen has teamed up with fashion and lifestyle editor Eboyne Jackson to create a luxury dress you can feel good about buying. We are happy to announce the dress will be for sale exclusively on Smashing Darling this Fall… more details along the way. In the meantime if you are in the Brooklyn area don’t miss Gwen’s Sample Sale this Sunday and next! Details below…

Gwen Beloti Collection, Strapless Silk Dress

DTD-Design the Dream..Fashionable Collaboration for Philanthropic Efforts! Eboyné Jackson, fashion & lifestyle editor of D.O.Z., & womenswear designer Gwen Beloti come together to create a specialty dress to give consumers a taste of luxury while giving back. The proceeds will go directly to their prospective charitable organizations, Little Dresses for Africa and Adonai Partners.

In the meantime…..

DUMBO Sample Sale

Sunday July 24th and Sunday the 31st

2-6pm

Email: info@gwenbeloti.com for details.