Meet Amy He, founder/designer/creator/photographer (phew) over at Mod Dolly, our one-stop shop for cute handmade dresses. We quizzed her on working with bloggers, and found out how to be a Mod Dolly girl...
Tell us how Mod Dolly was born!
Mod Dolly began in 2010 when I wanted to re-sell some vintage clothes and items I handmade for fun; it was originallysuposed to be a hobby between university and working but the reaction I got was so much more that I could of imagined. Lots of people started to request more styles and asked me if I could make make my original skater dress with peter pan collar in different fabrics. I decided to invest in a couple of machines in which i made a couple of simples styles to start off with, they all sold out; thats when I thought that Mod Dolly could actually be more than a hobby.
How can we be a Mod Dolly girl?
The Mod Dolly girl is a girl who loves to be a little more playful in her everyday styling. She has a penchant for cute and quirky details and looks for something a little different from the average high street trends. She spends her time blogging, tea drinking, meeting friends and day dreaming.
Can you tell us a little bit about the design and creation process?
The Mod Dolly dresses are made all handmade in London. Initially we start off by designing a small collection which we make all of our own patterns for. The pattern and silhouettes of the dresses are inspired by classic shapes which we add a little twist to. We then go onto sample making before we come up with the finalised design which can be made in lots of different fabric and altered to create lots of different dresses. We also stock independent designers like REKO London Crown and Glory and Me and Zena; we're always on the look out to stock small brands which suit the aesthetic of Mod Dolly, it also gives the customer more options to create outfits with accessories we don't make ourselves.
What's inspiring you for Summer?
This Summer we're particularly inspired by the 60s. The 60s is going to be a massive trend this S/S and its definitely one thats suits the style of Mod Dolly. Over the next couple of months we'll be releasing an array of colour block smocks finished with cute collars and buttons, tea dresses in beautiful floral and graphic fabrics as well as lots of accessories like printed hair bows and embellished peter pan collars. You'll also be seeing printed and appliquéd T-shirts, customised denim and jersey and lots of amazing vintage summer dresses.
You've worked with some amazing bloggers - can you give our sellers any advice on approaching bloggers to work with, and why is has been so sucessful for Mod Dolly?
Bloggers are a huge part of Mod Dolly as they probably amount to 60% of our customer base. What's great about working with bloggers is that you can discover how the everyday girl likes to style your clothes and they can also be a huge inspiration for future designs or ideas. It's really important to approach bloggers that suit the style of the brand and someone who is actually a fan of it; everyday we get emails from girls just wanting free stuff to 'review' and other times we get really sweet emails from true fans simply asking for an interview for their blog- those are the girls we love to gift as we know they'l be really grateful for it.
We've worked with bloggers such as Olivia Purvis (What Olivia Did), Megan Mcminn (The Briar Rose) and Paige Joanna (Paige Joanna illustration), all three girls have introduced Mod Dolly to their readers which have in turn increased our fan base. If you work with the right bloggers it can work wonders for your brand.
How have you decorated your studio to make it your own?
Our studio is almost like the bedroom I never had but always wanted; the style is clean but shabby chic with colourful decorations to cheer up the white walls. All the little ornaments are a collection of things given to me or stuff i've collected over the last few years, I'd definitely call myself a hoarder and everything in my studio is usually quite messy with fabric and pattern paper scattered across the floor! We're always so busy so I'm not complaining, a working studio is a good studio a the end of the day!
Lastly - any tips for Marketplace Sellers to make the most of the platform?
Asos Marketplace has been a really great outlet for Mod Dolly and it's soon becoming the top place in terms of brand awareness and exposure. What I really love about ASOS Marketplace is that they really do care about their sellers and work extra hard to promote us by compiling fashion edits and giving us lots of opportunities to reach out to our customers. The platform is really organised and easy to use - I particularly love the blog features and community.
Some great advice when selling on ASOS Marketplace is to keep your boutique active with fresh new products and blog posts. There are hundreds of products added daily so if you don't put the work in you can find yourself lost amongst all the other amazing independent boutiques and brands. When you put the work into ASOS Marketplace you get double the rewards back; personally its helped my brand grow in the right direction and opened it up to a whole new customer base I would of never been able to reach alone. Next month is my boutiques 1st birthday and I can honestly say its beens a great year!
Think you're a Mod Dolly girl? Stop by the Mod Dolly boutique and grab a pastel perfect piece in time for summer!