Behind the Scenes With Various Industry Professionals

Fashion Backstage: Meet Trisha Ginter

July 13, 2010 in Fashion Backstage - 7 comments

Name: Trisha Ginter  

Company: Website: Smashing Darling, Clothing Line: MerGirl, Boutique in Chester CT: FROCK

Briefly describe Smashing Darling:

A clean and simple, to the point, e-commerce marketplace to buy and sell independent fashion from designers all across the country. Most recently we added sellers from Canada and England.

Why did you start Smashing Darling?

I personally had a need. I design a line of clothing [MerGirl] from my store/studio [FROCK] in Chester CT. I needed an online presence but was afraid I would get lost among a sea of websites on the internet. I also had a curiosity to see who else was out there doing what I was doing. I have been an independent designer since 1994, I knew I couldn’t be the only one with a passion for both designing and making clothing. So I set out to find the designers marching to the beat of their own drums and to find out what their stories are.

What does Smashing Darling bring to the fashion industry?

I think the most important thing it brings is the uniqueness of in-the-moment fashion. So many of our designers work in the season if not, like me, in the day. I design something today, make it today, and if I am lucky will sell it today. Smashing Darling brings sort of an intimacy to purchasing fashion. Consumers can really get to know the designers they are buying from. I also think Smashing Darling is helping to define a unique segment of the fashion industry. The independent fashion design industry is a part of the bigger fashion industry, but it is an industry all it’s own. The longer I do this the clearer that becomes.

What did you find most challenging about starting your own business?

Getting out of my own way. Not getting hung up on the unimportant things and keeping the focus on the health of the business. Learning how to hover above the business to see it as a whole, keeping all aspects in balance.

Did you have a fashion background?

Yes, I started designing dance costumes freelance when I was 15 for a catalog, The Costume Shop. I worked in the small factory they had in the town I lived in, it was the best experience of my design career. I learned so much about mass production very early on. That knowledge has served me well even in my own business. I graduated from FIT, BFA, and while there had the great experience of studying knitwear at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham, England. I worked in the fashion industry in NYC for just 2 years. No one was more shocked than I that I didn’t enjoy designing in NYC. I had been obsessed with this profession since I was 12, but it wasn’t personal enough for me. I also didn’t like working a year in advance. Just wasn’t for me. So I left and, a few years later in 1994, opened my first business as an independent designer.

Describe a typical work day for you:

The first half of my day which begins between 5:30 and 6:30 to noon is spent checking and answering emails including customer service issues, writing in our blog, working on social media, reading articles, working on new ideas, how they will work, and where they will fit in. This is also the time I touch base with my right hand, Mo. We check in with each other, she reminds me of anything I am slacking on and keeps me organized and in line especially when there is a deadline on something we are working on.  At noon I start designing and sewing MerGirl pieces for FROCK, the store/studio I share with my friend and independent designer Laura Williams [Whosiepie]. We have been so crazy busy since we opened May 1, I could sew 24 hours a day and it would still take a week to catch up with the orders. A very good problem to have. I leave FROCK between 5 & 6. I am usually back online working at night with Smashing Darling 8 – 11pm. In between things at night I have been known to whip up a batch of dye and dye some fabric. My schedule is pretty much 7 days although I probably work a bit less on the weekends. I do find time to go for a long walk every morning with my husband, and there is always time to get an ice cream.

Identify your person style:

Feminine, girly, simple, fitted, one-of-a-kind and a bit vintage. I think I am a little obsessed right now with accessories that remind me of the 70′s. My favorite bracelet is 1 1/4 ” wide leather with a tarnished brass ring, and my favorite shoes are my, new-to-me, vintage, short, granny, lace-up Frye boots. I love big rings too.