Smashing Darling Blog

New looks for summer from designing Darlings, and a fresh new look for Smashing Darling. A new logo splashed onto the homepage last week, we hope you love it as much as we do!

Please let us know if you have ideas for how we can improve your Darling experience, just drop us a line. We also are curious if you are using PayPal for your business and/or to shop…if so, do you like their service?

When you have a second, let us know: trish@smashingdarling.com.

more how to: Shipping

Do you know you can change the amount charged for shipping items to your customers? Just sign in and go into your account:

Click [store name on the left] > Click > Boutique Policies[on the right], then scroll down until you see shipping options.

Smashing Darling has suggested amounts already filled into the fields, but feel free to change those amounts to what you need to charge for shipping your items.

Nolcha Fashion Week: NYC September 2009 is welcoming ethical fashion designers from around the world to participate in the Ethical Fashion Preview Day on September 14th 2009 in New York City. Details here.

Just a few reminders to double check in your darling boutique to ensure happy shoppers! The tools are there to keep communication clear.

Shipping: If you know you can’t send things 1 or 2 day delivery, remove that option from your settings completely in Manage Boutique Policies.

Returns: If you don’t accept returns, make sure that option is checked in your Manage Boutique policies. That way the -No Return- message will show up at the bottom of each listed item.

Categorize: Make sure the products you list are in the correct category: Men, Women, Jewelry. We don’t want to confuse the men when those dresses come up in their search…

Speaking of sales, do you have contacts for companies who would run sample/overstock/trunk sales for indie designers? If so, please share, and send them our way!

how to: Choose the right networks

We know lots of you darlings are out there blogging about your personal brand: your story, inspiration, designs, and events. If you aren’t yet - get to it! The designers who are out there talking about their work and promoting it seem to -no surprise- sell more! We also know you are busy. Finding a balance between creating, merchandising, and promoting is hard work, it’s nice to know there are supporters out there. Here is a great post from the lovely Jennine Tamm (of The Coveted, and founder of Independent Fashion Bloggers) with her Top 5 Traffic Yielding Social Networks. As always, we’d love to hear what you think.

Opportunity Knocks

Project Runway, Season 7 is casting now! Head to the smashing blog for full details. Deadline for submission is April 24th for the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle.

Port Authority, NYC to showcase emerging designers, read more here.

Tips and tidbits

Advice from a Photographer: Images of your work are so important. If you are prepping for your first photo shoot experience be sure to read this Do’s/Don’ts list in the blog, just in case you missed it!

Inspiration from TrishDarling: There is no need for independent fashion without independent style. Everyone would be perfectly happy to look like their neighbor and that is a terrifying thought. Check out INDIE mag.

The webinar was most excellent last month, if you missed it not too worry - it will be in your inbox soon, promise! Personal connection and word of mouth were main topics. Read more in this recent post from TrishDarling. If you dig Laura Roeder our webinar hostess with the mostess (you should!), head over and sign up for her Dash newsletter here.

We want to get your stories heard. Please contact us and share them: tell us about that favorite piece you designed, about specific experiences you have had in the industry as an indie designer, or how you were inspired to get on this road in the first place. We want to know.

Also, go get your crafty on with Karelle every Monday, check it out.

Wherever you are we want you to connect with other independent designers, we all need support and encouragement. If you want to find other Darlings in your area, just pop MoDarling an email: mo@smashingdarling.com. Good things happen when people connect…like photo shoots, check out these Darlings coming together in San Diego.

Be a Smashing fan on Facebook here. You never know who you will meet.

Let Spring inspire you.

cheers ~ the Darlings

Submit your designs for a Nolcha Fashion Week party catered to buyers and editors, details here.

Seeking hair and wardrobe stylists, makeup artists, photographers and models for Williamsburg Fashion Weekend, more here.

Learn about Lookbook.com, click here, because can never meet enough people or make enough connections.

how to - Promote Each Other

One of the main reasons Smashing Darling was born was so a community of emerging designers could help each other grow. We strongly believe that we are all more powerful together. Together we can all increase sales and visibility by supporting and encouraging each other. More fun with this idea coming soon in 2009.

Until then here are a few ways you can support us all: Find us and join our Facebook group, and tell all your friends too. More and more we are seeing darlings popping up in Twitter, it’s great, come join the stream! Tell everyone wearing your designs to add a pic into our Flickr group and share the love.

Around the Site

Hey there Darlings new, and tried and true. We thought you might want to know some details about those coming to investigate our unique fashion destination. Here are some factoids for you:

- 70% of our shoppers are women between the age of 20-40.

- The average price of an item sold is $130.00, and typically it takes only 7 page views for a shopper to find what they are looking for.

- Most shoppers purchase on their first visit….Nice!

- Google organic is our #1 traffic source, with direct search for “Smashing Darling” coming in a close second. This means people are searching for emerging/independent fashion. That is truly great.

…and one more.

Last, but certainly not least, we have a major change in the works here at Smashing Darling.

We will no longer be requiring users to create an account to buy - shop - purchase. This will make it so much easier for shoppers, and likely mean more sales for you.

how to - Be Featured

Some products are definitely spotted quickly by shoppers visiting the site as they are featured prominently on the home page and item category landing pages. Want to get your products there? Make your boutique cutting edge in all respects: hot fashions, stunning images, strong identity, and lots of products to choose from.

Don’t Miss This

We were happy to recap Fashion Wars LIVE in the blog with ZooZoom online mag. Read more here, and be sure to go vote for Darling Brooklyn Royalty

while you are there.(Here’s how.)

Also it’s not too late to design an “It” holiday dress and win over at MyItThings.com. The winners dress will be carried at, Ilus, a dress rental boutique in NYC.

Work at getting yourself in our blog. Send us press releases or emails about what you have coming up. We love to spread the good word. No events in your world? No worries, here are some other options:

• Grab a photographer and a friend and submit to ‘How do you where your indie?‘

• Show off your style, and show the community things you love on Smashing Darling by submitting to our Editor Picks.

As always we will always link to your store and whatever else you want to shout out!