Smashing Darling: Featured Independent, Kate Boggiano

We know you will oooh and ahhh over these blouses and jackets by Chicago based designer Kate Boggiano, just like all of us Darlings do. Whether you are heading to the office, or out the door to a party her designs are just the right amount of sass and function, made with high quality materials, in the USA, and built to last. "When you buy a Kate Boggiano blouse, you are buying an item of clothing that will be a part of your wardrobe for years to come."

Kate Coxworth left Polo Ralph Lauren in NYC and headed home to Chicago, welcomed not only by the familiarity of her hometown, but also to the amazing support for indie/emerging designers in the Chicago fashion community. Mayor Richard Daley aims to help keep young designers in Chicago with the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's on State street, which is designed to help 6 emerging Chicago-based designers further launch their careers in fashion.

If you find yourself in Chicago you can find Kate Boggiano's work at the incubator, OR you can always peruse her store on Smashing Darling; even contact her if you like by clicking the contact button inside her online boutique. I'm sure she would love to hear from you.

Happy Birthday BUST!

TrishDarling in heaven, dancing with the stilt people at the BUST mag 15th anniversary party. BUST really knows how to throw a party: Amy Sedaris on the microphone, silly photo booth fun, hammock seats and cabanas to gaze out at the nyc skyline, and the amazing Lady Circus.

Darling - Venuszine Giveaway

Read TrishDarling's full blogpost here.

Subscribe for a chance to win!

Venuszine is pairing up with Smashing Darling. You subscribe to the magazine and you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to Smashing Darling. There will be 25 lucky winners for the gift certificates. Some lucky winners will also receive Necklaces from Rock Love & Albums from Santagold, Atmosphere, Free Kitten, and many others. Plenty of good stuff to go around.

Show your support for this creative, emerging, indie lifestyle by subscribing, you will be glad you did.

SMASH UP XIII - Butterflies in the Mass

JulieDarling, flitting about in the grass, in her new summer SMASH UP! Love this organic cotton tee for summer, printed down in Philly, read more here.

KRELwear interview

A few months back, in hot Miami, I was the lucky Darling that was able to go check out the studio of fashion designer Karelle Levy. It was pretty dreamy!

Get to know Karelle a little bit better in the Darling blog today (click on image), and while you are there leave a comment to congratulate her on her Style Wars win!

Home Star

First night in the Brooklyn apartment, with a star right out front to help me find my way home.

Antigua, West Indies

I am just now realizing as I type this that it had been three years since I left the country. Not good! Life moves so fast and we take so much for granted, even if you consider yourself someone who tries not to...we really do. Get on a plane, explore a new country, shake up the way you look at the world, and all the beautiful people in it.

Ella Romero, student at SUNY Purchase created this month's SMASH UP - Rock on. The fabulous Timmy Brown took some pics for me, his son Morgan modeling.


Not sure if he wanted to kick Dad in the butt during the process...his look reminds me very much of the look I gave my parents when I was about his age, very funny.

Critique with us

Click here for the full blogpost.

Here’s our plan to help get every store on our homepage at least once.

• What are we going to do:
Critique one store’s images each week.

• What we need from you:
1. Comments and constructive criticism about the store’s photos. Would the images hinder or help you in making a purchasing decision? What could this designer do to improve photo quality (and get on the homepage more often)?
2. Suggestions! Suggest someone’s store (or volunteer your own) to be critiqued by emailing me at: julie[at]smashingdarling[dot]com

Next week we will start this post, so send in your suggestions today to help someone (or yourself) snag that homepage spot ASAP!

Thanks for your help!
-The darlings

my hairdresser is a god

I love that I can sit in my hairdresser's chair and say, "Do whatever you want."
I desperately needed a change in the hair department, and that is exactly what I got.
Lovely copper highlights...and wow, short hair. The tresses haven't been this short in years.

bikinis and bombs

“The bikini is the most important thing since the atom bomb."

Click on that quote
Tell the Darling's who said it
Win your choice tee
Easy as pie

Let's get Wrecked

T-Wrecked that is!

I love the new student SMASH UP for April. Dave Maggio from Northeastern had some fun with his crew and sent the Darling's these great images.
This is Dave below, to see more head to Smashing Darling!

Smashing Spree

Go enter to win a Darling shopping spree!

Shadows

Wow, it has been an entire month since I posted over here? Hmmm.
Bad darling! I love this pic I took with my phone while in La Jolla drinking really amazing coffee with a best gal pal, Jen. These are the most comfortable fishnets I will ever own!

Birthday SALE - 20% off SMASH UPs

We are proud to announce that Smashing Darling - Your House for Indie Fashion - is going to be a year old Feb. 20th 2008! We cannot believe that it has only been a year! The site is over 300 indie designers strong and getting stronger every moment!

We want to celebrate our first year with you with 20% off any and all items in the Student Smash Up Store. We have some beautiful and FUN screen printed items in the store. All screen prints on these items were designed by different students from various art schools across the country. Stay tuned for a special edition birthday SMASH UP that will go up for sale on our big day!

Here is your unique promo code: DRSZVL. It will be active from Feb. 1st - Feb. 29th 2008 use this code to receive 20% off any item in Student Smash Up Store only. There will be a place at check out to enter the code to get your 20% off!

Stitch Lounge interview

Head on over to the Smashing Darling blog to learn more about Stitch Lounge in San Francisco!

Interview: Melissa Alvarado of Stitch Lounge

Todays interview is with Melissa Alvarado one of the girls that started the Stitch Lounge in San Francisco. A very unique business that encourages customers to pick a project and just get started! We love that because that is what Smashing Darling is all about, letting your indie OUT! She also co-authored, with her friends and partners, Melissa and Hope, Sew Subversive and then Subversive Seamster. So if you are in the neighborhood, pop in and experience the lounge! These girls are always up to something fun!

Be BOLD - and comfy - in 2008

Many thanks to Mallory Whitfield of missmalaprop.com and her indie self for spreading the good word over at styledash.com. Check out her blog about one of our new Smashing Darling designers
CUT-IT-OUT.

Darling's in New Haven's PLAY weekly

Click here for full story!

With the expansive nature of the internet shrinking the world of commerce and growing it simultaneously, it's seems only natural that we head away from our metropolis and head North to find the masterminds behind the new social shopping website, Smashingdarling.com.

Over the Quinnipiac River Bridge and north on Route 9, you'll come to the quaint artist's community of Chester. Traveling down the windy road of Route 148, reducing your city speed to a more country-friendly pace, you'll find Mergirl, a custom clothing boutique in the stone building on Water Street.

Welcome 2008!

Happy New Year!

Many thanks to everyone out there who voted for SmashingDarling.com in Mashable.com's Open Web Awards. We came in second - thanks to all of your help - and all of us Darling's are heading out to San Fran for the awards in just a week. Not a bad way to kick in a new year.

Thanks again and cheers!