Darling Debuts Ready-to-Wear
In 2012, Sarah Dubbeldam launched Darling magazine with the mission to depict real, un-retouched women while sharing uplifting ideas on self-esteem and female empowerment. During the pandemic, the former model-turned-editor in chief and chief creative officer of the magazine and media company wondered what the next step in scaling Darling’s business while incorporating its audience should be — landing on evolving it into a lifestyle label by offering ready-to-wear and home goods.
“The idea of clothing was really exciting – thinking about when you get dressed in the morning, that’s your very first interaction with your self-esteem, right? How can we create a clothing brand that carries the message of Darling, so that when women put on a Darling item, they are remembering our mission of always pushing against the beauty standards of society and focusing more on who you’re becoming internally.
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“Are you happy on the inside, do you know how much you’re worth, and do you have confidence despite how you look? That was really the impetus for it and thinking how it can really tie into what we do,” she told WWD.
Dubbeldam said she believes people, in general, want to be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves. “Coming out of COVID[-19], when people felt really disconnected, to create this community element and an ambassador program, where women can connect around a similar mission, be in person and have this opportunity to represent our clothes and sell our clothes — it was a few different reasons that all kind of came together.”
Darling on Monday is launching its debut ready-to-wear capsule alongside a selection of home goods; the assortment is available for purchase direct-to-consumer on the brand’s website and through its new “Darling Society” ambassador program.
“People have always asked to be ambassadors of the magazine but I could never really form a real program around that. We never really had the infrastructure for that, so that’s where the light bulb went off where we said, ‘How do we allow women to represent our brand through a structure that we really believe in?’ We ended up establishing a way for women to represent the clothing,” Dubbeldam said.
The ambassador program (which includes members selected per season through an application process) requires members to purchase a “small buy-in” from two ready-to-wear capsule sizes — 10 pieces for $500, or 20 pieces for $1,000.
Darling’s website states that while there are no minimums for the first season and the program is not a buying club, they are asking ambassadors to earn enough commissions for season two to cover the line. Furthermore, ambassadors are required to put down a $250 deposit to secure their spot, “then there is a three-part payment plan for your remaining balance that is collected 30 days apart,” with an additional referral credit program.
“We’re pretty choosy about who we pick to represent our brand because it’s about more than just the clothes itself, but also the ethos of Darling. We aren’t just a clothing brand; we’re also a social movement and mentality, so it’s more than a Liketoknow.it — it’s personal and unique,” she said. “It’s $500 for a 10-piece capsule, which is worth $1,500; the 20-piece is only $1,000 but is a $3,000 retail value. You’re getting like blazers, sweaters, skirts, three pairs of pants, T-shirts, blouses — a 20-piece collection you could fit in a carry-on. It’s fun to realize how much you’re getting [for the price], and then you can use the capsule to sell; I created what I wanted to do.”
The idea is for Darling Society members to sell the seasonal styles digitally through social media, as well as through in-person events, modeled after the brand’s own “Darling Dinners” and events.
“It’s a non-multilevel marketing structure, so it’s just you, your sales and your commission at 25 percent to 40 percent, based on how much you sell,” Dubbeldam said.
Ambassadors can also opt-in to purchasing Darling trend drops, which will offer three pieces a month of more print, color and trend-driven styles, as well as home goods (which currently include salt and pepper shakers, vases, candle holders, and more) at a discounted price.
“If you’re an ambassador, you get this beautiful collection of clothing that you can wear and that you can sell; you get 25 percent off everything in our store, and you also get access to these beautiful retreats twice a year,” she said of the model. “The people that are already in, we’ll continue them on; if there’s new applicants, we add them in. The goal is to grow by a select amount of ambassadors per season as a company that’s not too aggressive but it is good, healthy growth, where we feel like it’s still representing our brand.”
The debut capsule’s ready-to-wear (priced $60 up to $250 for select styles) is made up of styles that reference a “Paris meets Copenhagen feel,” inspired by her love of travel. Dubbeldam stressed the line is “not a fast-fashion clothing line,” but offers a relaxed-meets-elevated aesthetic and is made up of natural fabrications — said to include cottons, linen, rayon blends, cotton blends and viscose blends. The capsule was noted to be 47 percent sustainable and ethically produced in China.
“It’s translating that European aesthetic to America — the capsule is based off of the idea of the 10- to 20-item French wardrobe. This idea of buying less, buying more quality and having these foundations in your closet that are just really easy. For me, being a mom and having a post-pregnancy body and wanting to be able to bend down and be versatile, I would say that they’re just not fussy, and they’re easy and so that’s kind of the aesthetic.”
Styles within the first capsule range from T-shirts, boyfriend button-down shirts and tailoring to jumpsuits, fluid dresses and trousers in neutral shades and a few pop colors. Each piece is in sizes XS to XXL, which plays into Darling’s overall ethos of being a very inclusive brand, and includes tags with their slogan “You’re a work of art,” inside the garments.
“I want women to feel beautiful, confident and secure in their body exactly how it is and not feel like they are in need of alteration or need to change anything about themselves when they put on our clothes,” Dubbeldam said of the debut Darling capsule.
Looking ahead, she hopes to grow the capsule while keeping it tight, with the idea of expanding into accessories, more trend drops and collaborations with external brands, influencers and friends of the brand.
“The sky’s the limit. I mean, I’m always dreaming big.”
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