proud to be a minkette.

I first learned of Rebecca Minkoff through The Purse Blog back in 2008 and since then, my love for the contemporary brand has grown into an obsession.  The NY-based designer's namesake brand originally started in 2001 as an apparel line, but she quickly shifted its focus to handbags after an overwhelmingly successful launch in 2005.  The Morning After Bag and Nikki Hobo became staples on the arms of many celebrities, which catapulted the brand's popularity.  RM handbags are the perfect blend between trendy and practical, cool and functional.  The leather is durable but not too heavy, and decorated with just the right amount of hardware to give the bag some character.  The brand has such a strong cult following that Minkoff created a blog especially dedicated to the "Minkettes" of the world.

As with any rapidly growing brand (e.g., Tory Burch), RM soon expanded into offerings beyond its core product to capitalize on the momentum and satisfy consumer demand.  In 2009, Minkoff delved back into apparel with a fresh Spring 2010 collection to complement her handbags.  In Summer 2010, she launched a line of bags for men under the label Ben Minkoff, reminiscent of Kate and Jack Spade.  A couple months later, Minkoff debuted her Spring 2011 collection with yet another new product offering: shoes.  They are chic, playful, with a splash of rock & roll edge -- think metallics, snake/pebble embossed and studs.  If shipping to the Netherlands wasn't such a pain, I would order at least half the collection in a heartbeat.

There are several key lessons that up-and-coming brands can learn from Rebecca Minkoff:

1) Focus a core product offering (handbags)
2) Establish a clear marketing strategy (stylists and their celebrity clients)
3) Nuture relationships with the consumer (Minkettes, bloggers)
4) Gradually expand product offerings after the reputation of the core offering has been established (apparel, men's bags, shoes)
5) Minimze risk and capex by utilizing retail channels other than traditional brick and mortar stores (RM sells through various department stores, specialty boutiques, and an owned & operated e-commerce site)