Shopping with... Rebecca Minkoff

By Suzanne Singer
March 31, 2010

Every up-and-coming accessories designer we know would kill for a career like Rebecca Minkoff's. With a celeb and cool-girl following way too huge to count and her collection in stock at 200+ of the best department and specialty stores in the country, Minkoff has clearly attained handbag super stardom.

Minkoff started her career as a clothing designer, with the launch of her line in 2001. It was only when a friend, actress Jenna Elfman, asked the designer to create a handbag for a film that she moved into accessories. Her first bag, called The Morning After—a soft leather, rectangular shaped satchel with side pockets, a shoulder and hand strap and custom hardware—continues to be the line's bestseller. As for the name, “I came up with the name of the “Morning After” bag to go with a girl who might want to stay out all night... and who knows what the night would bring? There is a card in each bag with [an image of] a cute boy and his phone number. When you call the number, there's a sexy French man’s voice that directs you to my website... Every girl should have a boy to call!”

Over the years, Minkoff's collection, not to mention her relationship with her devoted customer following, has moved beyond the Morning After to include a wide range of handbag styles in supple leather, slouchy shapes, festive but wearable colors, hefty hardware (lots of studs and zippers) and a rock 'n roll aesthetic. She also designs small leather goods, like pouches and bracelets. Minkoff's spring collection includes a few new styles along with updates of classic Rebecca Minkoff bag shapes in new textures and fabrications. "Perforated, tie-dye, motorcycle, classic and lacing... Basically, you name it, Rebecca Minkoff makes it!” she says.

Images from Minkoffs online video

Minkoff has also returned to clothing design, with the launched of her second recent clothing collection this spring. She says her line was inspired by Director Tim Burton's movies and the work of photographer Peter Lindberg. Her styles add a ‘90s tough girl chic vibe to leather jackets, animal prints and body-con dresses.

A video that plays on Minkoff's website shows the shooting of an ad campaign depicting two models, playing friends, hanging out at a grassy, lakeside retreat. “The [overall] mood for the spring collection was best friends,” Minkoff says, and the effect of the videos is to invite the viewer into Minkoff's easy, casual, approachable, but nevertheless super-chic world.

Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2010 Handbag Collection

When it comes to designing, Minkoff thinks a lot about detailing, looking at “tassels, zippers, studs, buckles, fur trim, metal chains, quilting, screws and princess seams, [which] all make it into the collections” she says. Her blog, called Minkette, feels like a private peek at her inspirations, which range from street fashion to travel to art exhibits. eBay also plays a part in her design process. “I love to search vintage," she says. "I usually type in vintage shoes and bags and [look at] suede booties, short black strappy motorcycle boots with buckles and ‘90s grunge-inspired slouchy bags. The vintage selection [on eBay] is unparalleled, and even if I lose the bid, then I still have images to inspire me. What inspires me are vintage clothes, old hardware, and details that I find sometimes in jewelry, like a stud or stone. [I think about] how to embellish a bag with this. This also ties into my clothing line with the buttons and leather trimmings.”