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Newsletter

Mo

Spring Has Sprung At Smashing Darling

by Mo on April 7, 2011

What’s Going On
We have been quiet since the new year, have you missed us? We patiently await our new look to show off to you, not to mention some other goodness we are excited to share. In the meantime read about Trish and Smashing Darling over on the PBS MediaShift blog! Oh, and we also turned 4 in February, and we’re up to 763 designers! Catch some weekly featured items right here darlings.

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Fashion Unraveled
Comment and tell us your biggest business mistake to this point, and be entered to win your own copy of her book. Read more…
Darling shoppers and designers! Do you know designers in your community just starting out? Jennifer Lynne Matthews wants to help. She tells us she made every mistake possible, and now she wants to help you to NOT do the same. Read our interview with her, and share with anyone you know who could benefit from her new book: Fashion Unraveled.


Favorite Places
It’s been amazing to watch the support grow for independent fashion designers since we launched Smashing Darling in 2007 (wow!). We have our favorite indie spots we frequent to see what’s going on. What about you? We’d love to hear what your favorite blogs, websites, and/or communities are to surf around, be inspired, and support indie/emerging fashion! Pretty please? Send word via email or comment!

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Darling Love Notes

Jeans Made by Hand: Hartford Denim Co.
Industry Interview: Art Meets Fashion, San Diego
Always * Darling * Forever

For more convo follow us on Twitter.
Love us on Facebook.

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Mo

Darling Independent Fashion: Past, Present, Future

by Mo on January 20, 2011

What’s Going On
Welcome to 2011 darlings. It’s going to be a great year, we can feel it, can’t you? We’re sure you missed our note of thanks ’round about New Year’s Eve, so here it is once again: Thank You.
Since it’s a gray January in Brooklyn and CT we filled this newsletter up with reds and pinks to help you feel the love.  Oh, and of course to remind you Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, if you choose to partake.


Darlings: Past, Present, Future
Industry Interview: Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Read on for a glimpse of what the fashion industry looked like when it first began in NYC.
Kickstart a Darling: Can you help Darling Kimberly Hendrix raise funds to get to Miami International Fashion Week?
Coming Soon: We are bursting at the seams to show you our beautiful, sparkly, darling makeover…oh, and next month we turn FOUR. That must be the glitter anniversary, right? Darling rules! We want glitter!


Use Your Hands
Your brain is chock full of feel-good chemicals even if you forget how to access them. Read more in this great reminder from Ecosalon. Take time to draw, knit, bake, use your hands. Find inspiration in the designers on the site, or click away below for more bits of inspiration.


Smashing Kudos and tidbits
StyleBoston interviews David Chum, designer Selah D’or … Darling Anna Hovet was featured on NBC’s 1st Look … sneak peek Joann Berman Pre-Fall on Ecouterre …. Daily Art Muse captures an evening in Chester with Dina Varano… Papercut Mag gets to know Azhand Shokohi.
Tell your friends…
Become a Facebook fan and be entered to win a $50 Darling gift card *every month.

For more convo follow us on Twitter.

Always * Darling * Forever

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Mo

Discover Independent Fashion, Gift Inspiration, New Shopping Features

by Mo on December 16, 2010

What’s Going On

In search of the perfect present, a lot of holiday shoppers are avoiding the big-box stores, and opting for corner shops instead. (Read on…)

We hope you are out there opting to support independent designers this holiday season, whether it be here at Smashing Darling or at your favorite local boutique. We love the joy in finding that perfect gift for all the fabulously unique characters in our lives. Finding handmade treasures – clothing, jewelry, or whatever it may be – is win/win gifting fun! The joy of discovery for you the shopper, and the inspiration that is carried on to the lucky recipient. Handmade gifts carry a magical story from the maker to you.


Last Minute Gift Goodness

Click through for some last minute gift inspiration below, and don’t forget we have e-Gift cards that can save all of you last minute darlings!
- PapuszaCouture: Hand-dyed tights she’ll love.
- Plenty of jewels, in silver, gold, beads, and more. New items are uploaded all the time in Darling-land.

Do you have your party attire squared away? Don’t forget New Year’s Eve fun … we’ve been picking out holiday dresses for you, check out the Darling blog.


What’s New

Like it!
Each item uploaded to Smashing Darling now has a Facebook Like button installed…so you can share your favorite indepedent fashion with all of your friends. Love it.

Popular Related Products
We know you are busy, so we love making it easier for you to shop! Now when you find an item you like, the site automatically finds other similar items that may just be perfect for you. Kinda like a magical little shopping assistant, who doesn’t want that? You’ll find that on the bottom right of every item page too. Voila!

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Smashing Kudos and tidbits

Major kudos to designers out in Portland, OR for supporting each other and creating local production options… We love reading about a Darling in the Washington Post! … Stay tuned for ties for the ladies from Rachel Park … Love for metals by darling Lake…Whether you are a designer or shopper, we all need inspiration, take a gander at some beautiful images of Iceland from Samantha Pleet.


2011 is right around the corner, we can’t believe it!
Many thanks for supporting all of the designers here at Smashing Darling another year.
May your holidays be full of magic.
cheers ~ the Darlings

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Mo

Inspiring Entrepreneurs, New Features, Tips for Sharing Your Story

by Mo on December 7, 2010

The Good News
We are happy to see more and more designers merging together their workroom and retail into one productive space; we don’t want you to miss stories of these inspiring entrpreneurs in Detroit and Seattle. Do you know designers sharing a workroom/retail space in your community? Please let us know! Or, if you would like to connect with designers in your area, pop us an email and we can see if we can help you make a connection!
Read more about the Workshop Phenomenon…


New Features
We love watching that designer number click up on the homepage (728!) and seeing all of your gorgeous new uploads on the site! Since it makes us so giddy, we have been highlighting new items in the blog – take a peek!
Soon every item page on Smashing Darling will have it’s own Facebook Like button! Anyone shopping on the site will be able to quickly share your item on Facebook.
More new features to come in the new year darlings….and come February we turn 4! Oh, how time flies!

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Curated Holiday Shopping
But regardless of who’s selling it, people want to buy something authentic, made by an individual with a great idea. (WSJ)
We hope you are having a successful season in all the places you sell your designs darlings! Thank you for being a part of our community, and for being on the front lines teaching the world to curate their shopping. Send us a heads up about your holiday events so we can shout them out in the Darling blog. Don’t forget people can also buy e-gift cards at Smashing Darling to shop your collections and over 700 others!

How to: Share your Story
Business of Fashion:
Tips for Video promotion:
Event Inspiration from PR Couture:


Spread the word!

Become a Facebook fan and be entered to win a $50 Darling gift card *every month.

For more convo follow us on Twitter.

Always * Darling * Forever

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Mo

Thankful Giveaways, Fashion Workrooms, New Independent Fashion

by Mo on November 23, 2010

What’s Going On
Thanks and giving, of course you know exactly what’s going on! We are heading right into that joyous craze of the holidays, are you ready? We are always thankful for you darlings out there supporting independent fashion. Just to make sure you are ready for Cyber Monday or Small Business Saturday we are giving away ten $20 Darling e-gift cards in the next day. To be entered to win just email us, comment on this blogpost, tweet us, or chat with us on our Facebook fan page and tell us something about you we don’t know. We just really want to get to know you better darlings!

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Don’t Miss This…

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What’s New

Sales Sales
Check out the changes to the Darling Sale area! The site now lists the images as well as all the boutiques hosting sales on the site. Take a peek. Don’t forget, when you shop with us you earn credit! Learn more: Frequent Shopper Program
Fashion Workrooms
We are happy to see more and more designers merging together their workroom and retail into one productive space. Read more about these entrpreneurs in Detroit and Seattle, and please share any others you know about with us!

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Smashing Kudos and tidbits
Hey thanks for the darling love Style Bakery! …Check out Smashing Headquarters featured in CT’s Venu mag….as well as ecco * eco, highlighting a: Workshop Phenomenon, we love that phrase – more please! See NBC’s newest blog and their favorite Slow Finds at Smashing Darling…and don’t miss this love letter to alternative culture in Coilhouse Mag! Darling goodness: Take a trip to Darling Dina Varano’s studio sanctuary, read an interview with Kimberly Hendrix on Trend Alert, and a Papusza Couture mention in the NYTimes: The New Club Kids.

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Spread the word!
Become a Facebook fan and be entered to win a $50 Darling gift card *every month.

For more convo follow us on Twitter.

Always * Darling * Forever

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Mo

Darling Social Media, New Sale Area, Calls For Designers

by Mo on November 1, 2010

Social Media is Darling
For all of you independent designers out there in the world of social media we can NOT stress enough how important it is to stay connected with each other through social sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Please keep us posted about goings on. We love to help our designers get the word out and we know other darlings would love to share your good news too! Find other Darling designers here in this list, and tweet right at us if we need to add you to that list. Let your fans know we give away a $50 Smashing Darling gift certificate every month. Like us in Facebook once, and be entered to win every month!


Bits and Pieces
Next time your logged in check out the changes to the Darling Sale area. The site now lists the images as well as all the boutiques hosting sales on the site. Take a peek.

Images and Video
Make sure you have a profile picture in your store darlings. We link love to  those all the time, and we want to see you!

Do you have video of past events or runway shows? Those also can be added right into your Darling boutique. Let your customer feel like they were right there, just go into your account and click Manage Videos to upload.


Collaborate
Sometimes we feel the need to repeat ourselves so you don’t miss out on anything. So here we go. Did you see the amazing collab between darling designers Katie Burley and PapuszaCouture? See it here. Having darlings collaborate brings us buckets full of joy! Smashing Darling was created with the mission of not only connecting shoppers to independent designers, but bringing designers together to support and inspire each other. Seriously darlings, you make us so happy.

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Calls For Designers

Textile Arts Center: Studio Rental Program
Emerging Designer Competition: Charleston Fashion Week

Nolcha Fashion Week – Feb 2011, Opportunities in Runway, Accessory, Ethical Fashion contact: info@nolchafashionweek.com

MNFashion: Sewing Co-op, Twin Cities, get involved!

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Spread the word!
Become a Facebook fan and be entered to win a $50 Darling gift card *every month.

For more convo follow us on Twitter.
Always * Darling * Forever

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Mo

Independent Fashion and Sustainability

by Mo on October 21, 2010

What’s Going On
We’ve been chatting over on our Facebook page about eco-friendly fashion, sustainability, and independent designers. We don’t have all the answers, but we’d love your input as a supporter of indie designers. Read more…

We believe independent fashion is a niche market that is here to stay, and has nowhere to go but up. But, don’t we all get by with a little help from our friends? You can support indie designers by spreading the word. Please take the next week to let 5 people, shoppers or designers, in your world know that Smashing Darling is here!


What’s New
Fall has definitely set in here in CT and NYC where we type to you from. We’re thinking about new layers to keep us warm. What are your favorites?

Don’t miss the new collections that have been added to Darling boutiques over the past few weeks:
Stacie May serves up some sass, Minna K says it all with silk, and Kristin Hassan… so sweet and flirty! Did we mention we are over 700 designers strong? They’re all just smashing.


Love your Local
If we could hop around from fashion week to fashion week across the country we definitely would. But alas, we need a few more Darlings for that. In the meantime here is a mini round-up of some local fashion inspiration around the U.S. of A.

Tampa Fashion Week: K. Hendrix runway shots, shop the runway collection right here on Smashing Darling – on sale.

Philly Fashion goes mobile!

Portland Fashion Week:


Darling Kudos and tidbits
We didn’t mean to leave fab MNFashion out of the above list, we ran out of room! Pale Rider looked like it was a delicious show. A lovely treat to see beautiful  Willow Tree in real life and over on Elle.com... We made some new friends at Maker Faire, and last week one lucky BurdaStyle member won $100 to shop here at Smashing Darling! September flew by and now we are ready for Halloween trickery, if your costume needs some couture (of course it does!) Papusza Darling is here to save you – boo!


Always * Darling * Forever

For more convo follow us on Twitter.

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Mo

Independent Designers: Features not Flash

by Mo on September 30, 2010

Darling Pow-Wow
We hit 700 designers on the site this week and we think you are all Darling! Independent fashion is a niche market that is here to stay, and has nowhere to go but up. We want to help people find you both across the country, but also right in your own community. We want to feature your high quality, unique designs (and events) for shoppers to discover…there is such joy in discovery. Local, handmade fashion is worth much more than a flash sale in our reality. Are you onboard? If so, take the next week to let 5 people, shoppers or designers, in your world know that Smashing Darling is here!

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Inside The Studio
We know some of you are in your studios full-time when you aren’t out on the road doing events. Others have full-time jobs and a studio you dive into when you get home. No matter where you land on the spectrum we would love to get a glimpse of your studio to share with the community. After all, Smashing Darling  lives in a lovely sun-filled studio in CT; please show us where your designs are born! Who knows, your image could inspire another Darling to want to collaborate with you. Opportunities are endless darlings! Send your studio images to Trish (trish@smashingdarling.com), it will make her day guaranteed.

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Darlings on the Runway
K.Hendrix: Kimberly just rocked the runway down in Tampa, FL. Don’t miss these beautiful images!

MinnaK: Love the new silk dresses coming soon from Minna!

Lara Miller: Eco Fashion Week, Vancouver…and it was so nice to finally meet Lara in NYC for the Green Catwalk!

Catalina De La Torre: Catalina’s jewels on the runway last weekend. Boston Fashion Week is still going if you are nearby, check it out.

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Resources and tidbits
New darlings be sure to check out the Darling blogroll for a list of resources we are always adding to! This PR planning post may be handy for some of you…and we are thankful for Darlings like Megan Auman helping us all switch gears into our business brain at Crafting an MBA.

Don’t miss this great article and convo from Australia: Inside the “business model” of emerging designers.
Great tidbits like this land in our Twitter stream, follow us darlings!


Always * Darling * Forever

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Mo

Welcome to #43: Independent Fashion on the Runway

by Mo on September 16, 2010

Darling Runway
Thanks to Darling Joann Berman for fueling us with a bit of gypsy darling joy at The Green Shows at the start of the week. Happiness is dancing down the runway after showing your collection; watch the video in the Darling blog and see more images in Flickr.

Fashion week is just around the corner in a few other spots too, how about Portland and Houston in a few weeks? Not to mention Philly, oh and Boston too. Wait! Don’t forget Montreal. Fashion is everywhere.

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Joann Berman, The Green Shows NYC

Meet Us at Maker Faire NY
Come play with us at World Maker Faire NY! Maker Faire comes to New York for the first time next weekend, September 25th and 26th. Thanks to our friends at BurdaStyle we’ll be kickin’ it in the BUST Craftacular zone. TrishDarling is whipping up some Mergirl goodness created from BurdaStyle patterns – ooohlala! Come see us in between gadget-gazing-fun to check out, maybe buy up, what she creates!


Inspiration
What inspires you? If you can swing it, take a minute out of your day and peek at some Darling inspirations…
Protective Coloration: Don’t miss the love letter sweater.

Papusza Tarot Card Dresses: Beautiful and haunting photo shoot collaboration.

Brussels Darlings: Sneaking away from the crowd on Fashion’s Night Out.

Darling Headquarters: Studio moments always inspire.


Smashing Kudos and tidbits
Sales – sales! There have been some-a-happenin’! Check them out featured in the blog, and you can always check from our Darling home page.

Did you watch the Emmy’s? Maybe you caught a glimpse of Darling designer Angela Johnson’s t-shirt ball gown hit the red carpet? Take a look and congrats Angela!

Don’t you love this Krelwear sweater below? Pop on over to the Kaight NYC blog and see it modeled by shop owner Kate, along with some snapshots of Krel2Go Fashion’s Night Out.


Always * Darling * Forever

For more convo follow us on Twitter.

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Mo

Designer Toolbox: Be Smashing Darling, Collaborate and Innovate

by Mo on August 26, 2010

What’s Going On
Is copyright protection the best thing for the fashion industry and/or fashion designers? Fashion as open source may be the more innovative way for the fashion industry to go. This video, originally posted on TED, is really worth the watch. Johanna Blakely shares with us how fashion is actually more creative and a more thriving industry without copyright protection.

A few other indie reads from this week:
We’d love to know what you think, leave a comment in the Darling blog or email us to share your thoughts or experience.

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Be The Editor
How about styling some of your favorite pieces with those of other Darling designers on Smashing Darling? Fun! Come play with us and be the editor for a week by doing a round of Editor’s Picks in the Darling Blog. Have a favorite blog you read that is covering designers such as your fabulous self? Send them our way darlings, we love to make new friends…
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Building Word of Mouth
You know your favorite customers who love to tell people all about you? What story do they tell about you and your clothing? Do you think you can get them to send us a story our way, about you? C’mon darlings, poke and prod them; we want to hear those stories! You know how to reach us: trishandjulie@smashingdarling.com

We are constantly amazed by the power of word-of-mouth. Be sure to add a link to your Darling boutique on your website and in your newsletters; let your customers know we have a Frequent Shopper Program…and of course be sure to let us know about any press you are getting so we can share the good word. Thanks Darlings!


Bits and Pieces
NYC and the blogosphere is all abuzz with Fashion Week right around the corner, not to mention Fashion’s Night Out. Don’t forget to let us know if you have indie events going on so we can spread the word, no matter where you are.

Also, in case you missed it that one summer day you happened to play hooky…we added vacation mode into your boutique. Just log into your Darling account and you’ll see a new tab where you can set your dates!

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Always * Darling * Forever

For more convo follow us on Twitter.

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