by Mo on September 14, 2011
We can always count on Williamsburg Fashion Weekend to mark, if not celebrate, the close of official NY Fashion Week shows. For nine seasons they have been merging, and supporting, independent fashion and independent music. This season we spy a darling in the line-up: Alisha Trimble. In years past, the band ladies have been the models — we love that. Get the full list of independent designers showing, as well as the bands, on the WFW website. Then just prepare yourself for a wee bit of lovely chaos, and a whole lot of originality. If you get there, leave a comment and share your blog or pics with us!
Williamsburg Fashion Weekend
Williamsburg Fashion Weekend’s 9th season will be held on September 16th and 17th at Windmill Studios, NYC at 287 Kent Ave. in Brooklyn, New York. WFW provides a platform for young and emerging fashion designers who push the boundaries of design, presentation, production, ultimately re-evaluating the fashion industry as a whole. Past participants have shown us there are many creative ways to be ‘green’ through recouturing, upcycling, recycling, eco-friendliness, transparent business practices, and artisan techniques. This season will be a feast for the audience’s eyes, ears, hearts, and minds. Shows run the gamut from fashion as conceptual art to ready-to-wear and incorporate live music, theater, and dance. The shows are always raw, experimental and forward thinking.
by Mo on February 18, 2011
It’s that time again, Williamsburg Fashion Weekend kicks off tonight and continues tomorrow night. Click on the image for all the details, including the designer and music line-up; past WFW coverage right here. Happy weekend darlings!
Williamsburg Fashion Weekend’s 8th season will be held on February 18th and 19th at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. WFW provides a platform for young and emerging fashion designers who push the boundaries of design, presentation, production, ultimately re-evaluating the fashion industry as a whole.
by Mo on August 4, 2009
My craft is designing.
Anicca means “impermanence.”
In my eyes, Life is always in motion, which reminds me to follow my passion.
Remember to always follow your craft.
Darlings: How did you first get involved in fashion design or the fashion world in general?
Minna: I became involved in the fashion world when I was 19 years old. I switched my major from Advertising to Textiles and Apparel at UT Austin. I took it a step further by pursuing fashion in Paris and at Parsons School of Design in New York. After Paris, my entire perception of fashion changed. In Paris I was able to experience the world of couture and apprentice under some great designers.
Darlings: Tell us about your transition from bridal to eveningwear, and what direction your latest collection is headed.
Minna: Bridal remains, however additional pieces have been added for eveningwear. For my Fall collection, the eveningwear is made of silk charmeuse, taffeta, and duchess satin. Classic silhouettes with a modern edge.
Darlings: What is a day in the life of Minna K like?
Minna: I don’t even know how to describe it! Well, it’s busy, but great. Sometimes I’ll be sewing, making patterns, or working with sewers or pattern makers, or I’ll be sketching, sourcing fabrics, and finding inspiration. The top image shows the studio during a photo shoot of the dresses for Craft:by Anicca.
Darlings: What inspires your designs?
Minna: For this collection, movement vs. structure. My favorite designer is Vionnet, so my bridal collection predominately has fluid fabrics, some Grecian inspired.
Darlings: Are you getting ready for any upcoming events?
Minna: Yes, because of your invite to the Nolcha/PRCouture soiree, I met Tom McAlister from Brooklyn Fashion Festival, in turn he introduced me to Oriana, the market editor for Nolcha. I am doing the evening collective at Nolcha Fashion Week on Sept. 16th.
Darlings: What is the hardest obstacle you face as an independent designer? Where do you find the most support and resources?
Minna: Most difficult: Financing. Most support: New York. It’s just full of both support and resources.
by Mo on February 19, 2009
|
Around the site
…and around the town. It’s been a whirlwind in NYC just swirling around the city supporting darling and other emerging designers on the periphery. And it’s not over yet. Head over to the blog and read a bit about what we have been up to, we promise to tell you more once we stop spinning.
Last night we had a blast at Digital Moda hosted by the Style Coalition, the Next Web crew, and Pop17. Their aim being to join together fashion and tech: mission accomplished. Five darling designers and their models roamed the room mingling among guests. Guests not only were able to see the designs up close and personal, but were able to chat with designers directly. Check out the flickr photo set here, read a darling’s perspective here.
|
Sequins slide by at Laura Dawson show
|
Brooklyn Royalty’s Bob Bland & TrishDarling @ Digital Moda
|
how to: Use Social Media
We are hosting a webinar especially for you!We want to teach you how to best connect and support one another so we can all grow our businesses through social media on the web. This will be a one hour webinar with time for questions and answers. Join us live if you can so that you can ask any specific questions you may have regarding social media and growing your brand and business. If you can’t make it -don’t fret- a recording of the webinar will be available afterward. If you seem to have misplaced your email invite just click here and give MoDarling a shout.
|
|
WFW: Where Art Meets Fashion
What better way to celebrate our Smashing Darling second birthday than watching the creations of Kaytee Papusza rock it down the runway? That is exactly where we will be this Friday night, Feb 20th. If you are nearby, come play with us! Williamsburg Fashion Weekend takes place at the Glasslands in Brooklyn Feb 20th and 21st. Over the course of two evenings seven designers will present and 5 bands will play to wash it all down. Who could ask for more?
|
PapuszaCouture sneak peek
|
Karelle Levy amazes with KREL 2 Go at EXPOSE
|
Don’t Miss This
Coming fast is the deadline for GenArt’s STYLES International Design Competition focusing on emerging designers. Designers have until March 17th to apply; 25 winning designers will present their designs in NYC in May as well as possibly win a $5,000 prize. For all the details head over to the smashing blog.
|
We’ll catch ya later..
cheers ~ the Darlings
by Mo on January 15, 2009
|
Around the Site
Happy 2009 darlings! It’s going to be a good year, we can feel it. We hope you are enjoying a fresh start in January. Smashing Darling has a brand new guest checkout for you to tell all your fans about, shopping just got a lot easier here, read more, or check it out yourself.
Do you have any darling wishes we can help with? Let us know, we want to hear from you!
|
A little woo woo from Che+Zie Studio
|
Leopard Love by Sacred Heart
|
how to -Help us all connect
We are excited to have a chunk of new info from some of you, the links to all the other places you live on the web. If you haven’t yet, please take a few minutes to fill out our Designer Survey. The aim is simple: to help promote each and every designer on Smashing Darling. Together we can all increase sales and visibility by supporting and encouraging each other via social networks available to us on the web. Your customers will love you even more for turning them onto other indies across the country.
|
|
Fashion Shows…Fashion Fun
In NYC Fashion Week is coming soon, and then the rippleffect of fashion, fashion everywhere! What’s going on where you are? Do you have events coming up? If so we want to tell everyone about it! Give us a heads up, send us an email, upload details to the Events page…you know the drill.
Speaking of fashion fun, stay tuned for some upcoming fun with ZooZoom online mag, and lots of fashion wars this spring.Want to enter one of your designs in the war, just email mo@smashingdarling.com.
|
Sweet & eco by Gina Michele
|
BIG bow tie fun from SharDann
|
Don’t Miss This
Two of your fellow darling designers are in the running for Daily Candy’s Sweetest Thing 2008. Please, GO VOTE!
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.
|
That’s all for now, but remember:
Connect – Encourage – Support
cheers ~ the Darlings
by Mo on January 8, 2009
|
What’s Going On
Change. A new year, a fresh start.
Change for Trishdarling, our parade leader, comes big. Did you know that Trishdarling is also Mergirl? Read here, and now you do. Closed are the doors to her Chester, CT boutique, and into a new studio she goes…soon we will all be drooling over new collections in her darling boutique. News stumbles in of many an indie designer closing their physical location and relying on word of mouth and their online presence only. This is why it is so important to talk to us and be a fan whether it is on your very own street corner, Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you like to gab the most!
|
Where is Mergirl?
|
Darlings knit baubles
|
What’s New
Be Our Guest
Shopping on Smashing Darling just got a little easier. …Be our guest, try it, you might like it. We will no longer be requiring you to create an account to make a purchase, unless you want to of course! No more account set-up necessary, no more passwords to remember.
Take a look here, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask! Email trish@smashingdarling.com.
|
|
Coming Soon
Fashion Week will soon return to excite and exhaust the heeled soles and typing fingers of fashion bloggers (oh, and all the rest of the media world -wink) and lovers from NYC, and everywhere. Stay tuned and we will tell you what is going on with our own darlings. We are excited to see a new collection from darling Papusza Couture debut at Williamsburg Fashion Weekend at the Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn. Read more here, and if you aren’t nearby maybe you should plan to be that weekend…(hint: it’s our Darling birthday too!)
|
A shirt named Lola-striped and smocked
|
Lilac day-tripper
|
Smashing Kudos and tidbits
and just today it was lovely to see our Darling Designer profile at FIDM magazine.
|
Happy New Year to all! It’s going to be a great year.
cheers ~ the Darlings
