Handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff launched her new watch collaboration with Baby G at the Back Room in the Lower East Side the other night. With her shiny, dark locks done to perfection and a glow only a new mother can have (Minkoff is the proud mama of a three-month-old), she sat down with us talk about the Baby G collab, how it's designed to complement her latest handbags, and three most important things she learned from her mother.Happy Holidays! What is on your wish list this season?
I am hoping that when I go down to visit my parents for the holiday break that they take the baby and I get to go to sleep!!
Talk to us about designing the Baby G watch? What were the challenges, or was it just a piece of cake?
It was pretty easy since I was given the body of the watch. But I think if I had to design something from the bottom up, it would have been a lot harder. After I got the body, I could do whatever I wanted to do, which was really fun. So I put the elements I put into my handbags into the watch. Like, we made the numbers in studs and we made the face in rose gold because it happens to be a great fit with new bags we are shipping this month, which also have rose gold hardware.
Your aesthetic has been described as "downtown romantic." What does that mean exactly?
Sometimes downtown can mean harsh, or a little too edgy, but our girl is a romantic at heart, so she likes to be someone who enjoys fashion but also wants to be known as someone who discovers new things on her own, not as a follower.
What's next for the Rebecca Minkoff brand?
Our goal is to have a whole lifestyle brand, and we want to touch every aspect of our customer's life. And then we want to grow into a global brand. China is a huge, growing market and entrepreneurs have money to spend now and we are finding that could be a really good market for us.
Your reputation in the industry is as someone who is friendly and unassuming, how does that translate into your business ethic?
I have the same approach with either my customer or within my company. I am not interested in being a diva or unapproachable because I feel better when someone is nice to me, so I just want to be that way to others.
Who do you admire most in the world?
Would it be cheesy if I say my mom? I admire her because she has really taught me to have a really strong work ethic. She also taught us to make something out of nothing, so I never feel like I need money to do things, especially in a growing business, so it's always about being creative. And I love that she always laughs at herself, and she taught me that. My husband even says his favorite thing about me is that I laugh at myself.