#FashionDigitalNY is winding down for the day, and what better way to close out than a Q&A with Uri Minkoff, CEO of Rebecca Minkoff and Philippe von Borries of Refinery29!
Rebecca Minkoff is a rising star – no, a blazing comet! – in the ready-to-wear luxury space. She has been recognized and praised as a fashion thought leader and digital maven. Thousands of fans interact with her on Facebook, like her photos on Instagram and follow her on Twitter.
And according to Uri, Rebecca’s social clout has made everything she shares turn to “sold!"
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We’re in the heart of the discussion now, but I really wanted to make a point to hone in on the overall culture and lifestyle of the Rebecca Minkoff brand. Here are a few stand-out quotes and moments:
On working with his sister, Rebecca: "Because we were raised in the same household with the same values, we have a base to go back to. That blood line can never go away."
On turning Rebecca into a fashion thought leader: "We decided early on we wanted Rebecca Minkoff to be the leading Millennial lifestyle brand. Rebecca is the face of the brand and is the number one, multi-category designer from that perspective. She’s paved her way as a woman and entrepreneur so there’s that authentic relationship she’s built with her consumers. These girls want to belong to something and for her, it’s that connection."
On spreading brand awareness before the social explosion: ”There were girls out there talking about us [on blogs and forums]. I sat Rebecca down…and sent her questions they had. Back then, you didn’t have designers answering consumers’ questions. We spent two to three hours a day doing that.“
On his favorite memories being a part of the brand: Eventually a group of girls, who wanted to be brand ambassadors for specific areas of the U.S., dubbed themselves "Minkettes." "That was a really cool experience,” Uri said. So what would Minkettes do? Take care of the brand, give them feedback, recommend the brand to friends and family, and make sure Rebecca Minkoff is represented well in all stores. For example, the Minkettes would “rally the troops” for personal appearances. “We went from 10 girls at an appearance, to 50 or 100.”
On the importance of knowing and loving your customer: “We decided early on that everything was going to be about our customer…That has touched every activity Rebecca Minkoff has done.” Uri added: "We keep our eyes and ears to the ground.“ And if you don’t? "You lose sight of the customer."
