In case you haven’t noticed, Spork Fashion loves Smashing Darling. Run by Trish Ginter and Julie Rorrer, they appreciate indie fashion so much, they have turned it into a career. Here, Trish tells us the secrets to their success.

How did Smashing Darling start?
Now there’s a story … for anyone who wants the long version, we got it all down in the About Us section on SmashingDarling.com. The short version is that in the process of starting a new business designing and manufacturing baby bibs (big, bad baby bibs, to be exact) we decided instead to devote our efforts towards a site to benefit the indie design community as a whole. SmashingDarling.com has arisen from that initial collaboration, its main purpose being to help the indie fashion community get their new designs out there, without the huge undertaking of having to design their own e-commerce site.

What is your background?
I (Trish), have always marched to the beat of my own drum. I earned a BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 1989, and studied Knitwear at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham, England. After graduation, I spent two years in the NYC fashion industry before opening my own boutique in Connecticut. That was 14 years ago, and I have been an independent designer ever since.

My partner Julie is a true independent woman at heart. She has a diverse background in fine art, earning a BFA in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design in 1995. Her life and career has led her in various directions, from photography and design, to cosmetics and manufacturing… and most recently motherhood!

What has been the most challenging part of Smashing Darling?
What part hasn’t been a challenge?! Neither Julie or I come from a web development background, so this entire process continues to be a real learning experience. We love the way our website is evolving, though, and we believe completely in it and the indie fashion community.

Presently, we have about 300 designers and an ever-growing pool of shoppers that believe in knowing where their fashion comes from. We are very appreciative of the support we’ve received and the people who have been with us since the beginning. Certainly another ongoing challenge as we continue to grow will be to stay true to our vision for the community, while at the same time being receptive to the needs of our designers and the feedback we receive from them.

What has been the most rewarding part?
That’s an easy one … the most rewarding part is seeing the community grow and helping talented emerging independent designers get more recognition. There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing one of our designers hosting a fashion show during fashion week, or seeing one of them written up in a magazine or blog. In our business model, we can’t succeed and grow unless out designers are succeeding as well and the feeling that we might be able to help designers get ahead and gain recognition in their own careers is an incredibly powerful reward. It’s what the site is all about.

What do you look for in designers for the shop?
We look for indie designers are passionate, professional, and serious about what they do. The ability to provide excellent photography and well-written descriptions of their products is also key to making sales online.

It’s also worth mentioning that we don’t think of our site as a “shop.” One of the things that sets us apart from other indie marketplaces is that we actually have hundreds of individual stores or shops. The stores are owned, managed, and customized by the designers themselves.

How would you describe your personal style? What is your favorite piece in your closet?
Julie’s style is clean and simple with a twist. My favorite piece in her wardrobe is her Mergirl coat. My style is fitted, and kinda funky kitten-like and I’m usually in heels. My favorite piece is my beige knit Mergirl dress.

What does the future hold for Smashing Darling?
Good times, great style, and continued success for all of our talented designers! Thanks to our community, we believe that we have put something very special in motion and we have great hopes for the future of SmashingDarling.